Out of a Dream
by JoniLuvsChachi
Summary: While coping with the loss of a loved one, the rangers discover something about themselves that they had long forgotten. R&R Please.
1. Nightmares can be murder

**So, it's my first Power Ranger fanfic, and trust me, it's been a long time coming. To be honest, I haven't watch the show in an eternity, and am not up on all the new goings ons. This is based solely from my own knowledge and what I can remember (and a lot of stuff I just came up with on my own.) So, all you canonites out there...be gentle. :) I do love constructive criticism and any ideas that might make my story better, so please leave feedback.**

**This story stays with the original Rangers, including Adam, Aisha, Rocky, and, yes, Katherine. Since I have no knowledge of any of the shows beyond that, don't look for any of it.**

**That being said, let the games begin.**

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Out of dreams: Part One

Katherine shivered through her lace nightgown as she walked barefoot along the icy cement floor. The corridor was deathly silent with only the flickering of the barely lit torchrs that lined the walls to guide her. She wasn't sure where she was or where she was being led, but she knew that it was not of her own will.

_Katherine. _

The voice, almost a whisper was soothing as she followed it deeper into the corridor.

"Who are you?" Kat wasn't exactly sure if she had spoken aloud or if she was hearing her own thoughts echoing off the walls.

_Katherine. _

Suddenly, ahead of her loomed a pair of gigantic wooden doors that reached to the ceiling. The solid oak with worn metal hinges reminded her of the fantasy romance movies that she loved so much. As she approached, the doors slowly opened with a creaking sound so loud that Kat wanted to turn and run, but she knew she couldn't.

She continued to walk into the huge room that had been opened up to her. She stopped, taking in her surroundings. Just ahead of her on the back wall, the biggest fireplace she had ever seen was ablaze, bathing the entire room in light and much needed warmth. The rest of the room was sparse, save for a full length mirror to her right.

_Katherine. _

Kat followed the soothing voice to the mirror and looked at her own reflection. Suddenly the glass became black and various images began to play out before her. It was her life. Growing up, meeting the Power Rangers, becoming a Ranger, her love affairs, her wedding, and her blissful life up until this moment. The images faded, and her own reflection returned. While she continued to look, she didn't miss the black figure approaching her from behind.

Spinning quickly, she lost her balance and fell backwards into the mirror. Before either she or the mirror could hit the ground, she felt herself being righted by a force that cradled her like a child.

_Don't be afraid, Katherine. You are safe here. _

"Who are you?" She was sure that she had spoken aloud this time.

_All in due time, my child. First, there is a great deal that you must know. _

As the light filtered through blinds that covered his windows, Adam felt it penetrate his consciousness, commanding him to open his eyes. _Not yet_, he thought as he reached his arms high over his head, pointing his toes to stretch his legs lazily. Finally, rolling to his side, he glanced at the figure lying next to him, her back to him. Her fair hair splayed across her pillow, he counted his blessings that he was lucky enough to wake up next to the most beautiful wife that a man would hope for. He smiled at he reached over to touch her bare back.

"Kat, honey," He leaned over to kiss her exposed ear. "It's time to get up."

He stopped cold as his lips made contact with her icy skin. He bolted upright, now fully alert. "Kat?"

He rolled her over and stared in horror at the white, bloodless face that lay next to him. "Katherine!"

He barely recognized his own voice as he screamed his wife's name. He reached with a shaky hand to her neck. He felt his world come crashing down around him as he realized there was no pulse. His wife was dead.

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	2. Saying Goodbye

I hope this is the last time that I will have to re-edit this chapter, but you never know. I have made some changes. For the benefit of not bogging the story down with too many characters (and my own sanity), I have taken Aisha and Rocky out of the picture. I love the characters but have absolutely no room for them. Also, this is pretty much an AU story since I decided to take a lot of liberties with the characters since they got out of high school. That being said, the story is pretty much the same (I did get my head out of my ass long enough to run a spell check) with just a few minor changes in dialogue. Thanks for your patience.

Chapter Two: Goodbye and Hello

Billy bolted up in bed, struggling to catch his breath. Despite the cool fall air drifting through his window, sweat poured down his face. He glanced at the clock next to his bed. Even without his glasses, he could read the large, red numbers. 3:33, they seemed to scream at him. He untangled himself from his comforter and flung his legs over the side of the bed. Forgetting his glasses altogether, he walked on wobbly legs to the bathroom. He didn't bother with the light but went straight to sink and flipped on the cold water. The icy water stung his face as he tried to make sense of the horrific sensation that had torn him from sleep. He looked in the mirror as he turned on the light. He stared at himself for a moment as he tried to calm the churning in his stomach. Taking deep breaths, he closed his eyes and focused his mind.

As the wave of nausea subsided, he made his way back into his bedroom and quickly picked up his cell phone. Without having to look, he pushed the speed dial. He had called her many times in the middle of the night, and he knew that she would take his call even at the ungodly hour.

"Hello." her soothing voice came through. The voice that had calmed him when he woke up from his terrible nightmares. Nightmares that had been steadily increasing in frequency and intensity.

He closed his eyes as the nausea threatened to overcome him once more. "Something terrible has happened."

The drizzling rain made for the appropriate backdrop for the most somber of days. The Park's two story house seemed to sink in on itself under the weight of grief that hung over the once lively and bright home. Many of Kat and Adam's friends came to pay their respects. Most stayed only for a bit, while others lingered, finding comfort in the various plates of food that had been arriving since the day before, and reminiscing about Katherine. Adam walked stiffly about the house, only talking when greeting someone or thanking them for their condolences.

Tommy and Jason stood side by side, as usual, by the door greeting the many guests that had come and gone. They had been by his side since Adam had called them with the news. The pair had immediately taken up residence at the Park's house, helping with funeral arrangements, making phone calls, and desperately trying to hold their friend together.

Jason shifted uncomfortably in his dress shoes, apparently feeling very out of sorts in his suit and tie. Tommy, while feeling his pain, stayed ever stoic, giving a brief grin to his friend.

"Would you stop fidgeting?"

Jason nodded at a somber couple as they passed by, thanking them for coming. When they were alone again, Jason grimaced aloud. "Gimme a break, would you? You know I hate these monkey suits." To make his point, he tugged severely at his collar.

"Easy, killer. You'll have the whole thing shredded before the service tomorrow." A familiar female voice lilted into the doorway.

The two men perked up at the lovely sound. "Trini!" Jason yelped as he swept the petite brunette into a massive bear hug.

"Wow, it's good to see you, too, Jason." She could barely get the words out while he practically crushed her ribcage.

He finally set her down, and she turned to Tommy. He stooped down lithely to wrap his arms around her. "Hi, Trini."

"I just wish the circumstances didn't suck so much." A sudden sadness fell over the trio. "How's he doing?"

Jason unconsciously rubbed the back of his neck. "Not too good. He just kinda walks around like a zombie. I'm not entirely sure that he knows what's going on? He's barely said two words since we got here two days ago."

Trini furrowed her brow. She knew that they were as close to Adam as brothers. Hell, the three of them had even roomed together in college, and for a brief period after until Adam and Kat got married. "Do they know what happened?"

The men shook their heads. "She went to bed alive as a person can be, and when Adam woke up in the morning..." Tommy's voice trailed off.

"Oh my god, that's horrible. I can't even imagine." Trini sighed audibly. "Well, I didn't know her that well, but I know that she was special to him."

"You got that right." Tommy said quietly. He was all too acquainted with the phrase, "to have loved and lost."

"Speaking of somebody special, where's that man of yours?" Jason attempted to lighten the mood.

Trini beamed at the mention of her husband, Gustav. "Gus is with the kids, mom and dad are out of town and we couldn't find a sitter on such short notice."

"How are the little monsters?"

"Terrific, as always. Robert is learning guitar, and Missy has taken up karate."

Tommy chuckled. "The apple doesn't fall far, does it?"

Trini smiled at him. "Not far enough." Her reverie faded as she spotted Adam emerging from another room amidst the crowd of people.

He walked listlessly to a nearby table where pictures of Katherine were displayed in a beautiful tribute to the young woman's life. He stared at the pictures barely noticing the various friends who tried to give their condolences.

"Excuse me guys."

Tommy and Jason nodded as she made her way to Adam, speaking softly to him. They watched as the grieving widower turned his friend and fell into her supportive embrace.

Jason ran a hand through his short locks. "Man, this is gonna be rough."

Tommy nodded empathetically. Adam was going to need all the support they could give him right now.

Later in the day, Billy finally arrived. He was greeted by Tommy and Jason. Tommy frowned as he gave his friend a pat on the pack. "Hey man, you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm just...well; it's been a stressful couple of days." Billy ran a hand through his short hair and adjusted his glasses.

Tommy recognized the nervous habit of Billy's. While he tried to appear as put together as usual, Tommy noticed that he looked uncharacteristically disheveled. His face was pale and the bags under his eyes told Tommy that Billy hadn't had a good night sleep in a while. Tommy was convinced that something else was going on under that cool exterior.

As the day wore on, guests came and went and as the sun finally began to sink behind the houses, the last of the visitors finally departed. Adam had disappeared into his room at some point, while Jason, Tommy, Billy, and Trini began to clean up the food that had been brought by friends. Trini loaded a plate with food before it disappeared and made her way down the hall to the master bedroom. From where she stood, she could hear the racking sobs of the man inside. Her heart broke for him.

She knocked lightly on the door. "Adam, I brought you some food." There was no answer. "I'm going to leave it here by the door." Still nothing. "Listen, you know we're all here for you if you wanna talk."

With that, she bowed her head, willing her own tears not to fall, and walked silently back into the kitchen.

"Did you get anything out of him?" Jason asked as he dropped his hands back into the sink of soapy water.

Trini smiled, in spite of herself, at the sight in the kitchen. Jason, Tommy, and Billy had all donned Kat's aprons, rolled up their dress shirt sleeves and were up to their eyeballs in dirty dishes and leftovers.

"It's gonna take time." She lowered her voice.

Tommy smiled at her. "I got nothing but time."

"No kidding." Jason shot back. "When was the last time you had a real job, Oliver?"

His roommate scowled at him from across the room. "Can it, Scott."

It was well known that after high school Tommy had never been able to settle down. Everyone else seemed to have it all figured out. Jason did a brief stint in the military before going on to law school. Trini met her husband in the Peace Corps and settled down with their two beautiful children, and Billy was teaching advanced Physics at UCLA. Tommy just couldn't follow suit. He was too restless to finish his degree (even though he only had one semester left), and never could decide on a career. As a result, he had bounced from job to job, never finding any fulfillment in anything that he attempted.

Once the kitchen was finished, the group of friends raided the liquor cabinet and made their way into the living room to relax. Trini made one more trip to the master bedroom. When she only heard silence, she cracked the door enough to see Adam, sprawled across the bed, sleeping soundly. She quietly shut the door and made it back into the living room to hear Jason telling the story of how they first met Katherine.

"We all thought she was smokin', but Adam had it the worst. It almost killed him when you hooked up with her, Tommy."

"That's right, you guys dated," Billy said, "I forgot about that. She was your rebound from..." He trailed off, and tried to avoid the various stares aimed in his direction. "Oops..."

Tommy, for his part, brushed it off. "It's okay, guys. Jesus, that was so long ago, I'm totally over it."

Jason snickered. "Yeah, well, Kat never did get over the fact that you could never get over Kim. She always complained that she was the reason that you guys broke up."

Tommy leaned forward in her chair. "First of all, she broke up with me. Secondly, she loved Adam way more than she could have ever loved me." He sat back and took another sip of his drink. "My loss was his gain, I suppose."

Suddenly, Jason raised his glass. "To Kat and Adam, may we be able to find as great a love as they did."

The friends all raised their glasses to their fallen comrade and the broken hearts she left behind.

The drizzle had turned into an outright downpour sometime during the night. Adam was grateful for rain. While the others had opted for the shelter of umbrellas he had declined, lifting his head to allow the drops of water to wash away his tears. The service had been beautiful. Trini had been gracious enough to give the eulogy. More friends than he knew they were acquainted with had come to the church to bid a fond farewell. Now he stood in the rain, surrounded by his closest and dearest as the reverend gave his final prayer over the casket in the cemetery. When the prayer was finished, the few who had braved the rain to be at the cemetery went their separate ways, save the five friends standing watch over their fallen loved one.

Tommy finally approached Adam, his own eyes red from crying, and gently laid a hand on his shoulder. "We should get out of the rain. You know that Kat would be pissed if she knew that you caught a cold standing out in this weather."

Adam nodded but stared straight ahead. "Yeah, alright. Could you guys just give me a minute?"

"Sure, bud. We'll meet you at the car." He adjusted his umbrella and turned to follow his friends as they made their way back to the limousines that had brought them.

As they turned to leave, the group collectively stopped when they saw a lone person standing alone in the distance. Dressed in a black dress, her hair swept up under a large brimmed black hat, Kimberly stood as straight as her small stature would allow, holding her umbrella as close to her as possible.

"Is that Kim?" Billy asked, making sure that he wasn't imagining his friend standing there.

Before anyone could answer, Trini broke into a sprint in her heels, kicking up mud behind her. Tommy hung back for a moment, not knowing what the exact protocol for this particular situation was. They had not seen each other since she left for Florida and sent that god forsaken note that nobody could seem to get over. There had been other group gatherings: Adam and Kat's wedding, Trini's wedding...For some reason or another, they had never been able to make it to the events at the same time. Tommy was beginning to think that they were simply destined not to cross paths again. How very wrong he was.

"Dude," Jason slung an arm over his shoulder, breaking his train of thought. "Aren't you even going say 'hi'?"

Tommy watched as Trini barreled into Kim, both girls smiling and laughing. He shrugged.

"What happened to 'I am so over it?'?" Jason's mocking tone made Tommy want to smack him. Instead he nodded his head.

"You're right."

Jason seemed dazed for a moment at the admission, but quickly recovered with a cocky smile. "Of course I am, bro. Come on."

Billy began to follow Jason but stopped as he walked by Tommy. He leaned closer and lowered his voice. "I know she will want to see you."

Ending the conversation, Jason and Billy started down the muddy path to where Kim stood, followed by a still uncertain Tommy.


	3. The Prodigal Daughter

Kim watched in the rain as the few who had gathered for the funeral began to disperse. She had made a conscious decision to observe rather that actively participate out of respect for Adam. The truth was that she wasn't sure what kind of welcome she would receive considering the history between her and Katherine.

And there was Tommy. She had been fortunate for all these years not to run into Tommy. Despite her friend's attempts to reassure her that he was not still angry with her, she had a distinct feeling that things would never be the same between the two of them. She had readily admitted to herself that she was the reason that she always had a convenient excuse for missing get togethers when she knew Tommy was going to present. But she knew that this time, there could be no excuses. Adam needed his friends right now, and no amount of uncertain feelings would stop her from being there for him.

"Kim!" Despite the circumstances, Trini could not contain the excitement in her voice as she sprinted up the hill to meet her friend. She threw her arms around Kim. "I didn't know if you would come."

She gave her a sad smile. "I had to."

Trini placed a hand on her shoulder. "We're glad you're here. Adam really needs us right now."

"Well, the prodigal daughter returns." Jason quipped as he made his way to the group, followed by Billy and Tommy. He wrapped his arms around her tightly reveling in the unity that she brought to the group.

She turned to Billy and they embraced. "It's good to see you, Billy."

When they parted, Kim glanced uncertainly at the all too familiar face standing behind him. No one spoke as Tommy and Kim faced each other again for the first time in nearly a decade. Finally, Tommy offered her a warm smile.

"Hi, Kim."

Kim nervously brushed a loose piece of hair from her face. "Hi, Tommy." She searched his features for some sign of anger or resentment, but found none.

The tension was momentarily broken as Billy's cell phone blared from his pocket. He grinned sheepishly at them as White and Nerdy by Weird Al Yankovic told him that he had a call. "Sorry, guys. I forgot to turn it off." With a quick glance at his caller id, he knew that he had to answer it. "Excuse me, but this is important." He answered the phone and quickly moved out of earshot.

"It's good to see you." Tommy admitted, still looking at Kim.

She let out a long breath that she hadn't even realized she'd been holding. Perhaps things would be alright after all. Glancing past Tommy, Kim spotted Adam walking dejectedly up the hill towards them and silently moved away from the group to meet him half way. She cringed as she saw the vacant look in his normally warm gaze. His face was void of all emotion, and his body seemed to be only moving by some unknown force around him. Kim felt her eyes well up at the sad sight of him. They simply looked at each other for a moment.

Kim's voice felt small and weak when she finally spoke. "I know that Kat and I had our differences, but..." Suddenly she found it difficult to go on. The tears that had formed before now fell unchecked down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry, Adam."

Adam grabbed her, pulling her into an embrace so fierce that she thought he might draw the very breath out of her. His own tears falling rapidly onto her shoulder. "Thanks for coming, Kim."

Billy stood back as the rest of his friends made their way over to Adam and Kim. Having Kim back was a blessing. He had had suspicions about Kat's death when he had first heard about the strange circumstances surrounding it. He had spoken with Jason and Tommy at length about what had happened. He discovered that the medical examiner could find absolutely no cause of death. Her brain simply stopped functioning, according to the report, with no plausible explanation why.

Billy, being a scientist by nature, would not accept that answer. Especially with the strange events that had been happening to him as of late. He had been reluctant to even bring up his suspicions to his friends. How would he even begin to approach the subject? They would certainly think he had lost his mind. After the phone call he had just received, he knew that he could not put it off.

"Hey Billy!"

He was torn from his thoughts at the sound of Jason's voice calling to him.

"We're heading back. You coming' or you gonna stand here in the rain all day."

"Yeah, I'm coming." He called back. He took a deep breath and wondered as he made his way to the cars what the hell he was getting them all into.

The ride back in the limos had been relatively quiet. Trini had opted to ride back to Adam's house in Kim's rental, with a quick stop at her hotel to get her things. Without Trini's lively chitchat, the guys had pretty much kept to themselves. Now they sat around Adam's living room, drained from the emotional turmoil they all felt.

Feeling the unbearable weight of the silence, Jason finally decided that it was time to switch gears. He sat forward in his arm chair and eyed Kim across the room, sitting casually on the sofa between Trini and Billy. "So, Kim, what's been going on with you? Haven't heard from you in a while."

She gave him a wan smile. "I know. I'm sorry; I've just been really busy lately."

Trini grinned at her. "Why don't you tell them why you've been so busy?"

Kim shifted nervously. She had been planning on giving her friends the good news, just not at that particular moment. "I got engaged." She finally said, keeping her gaze firmly on Jason.

At that moment, the door bell rang loudly. Adam quickly got up to answer it.

"Congrats, Kim." Jason said, grinning big at her.

Billy looked across Kim at Trini. "You knew about this, and didn't say anything."

She held both hands up in defense. "I just found out about it in the car on the way over."

"Billy," Adam's voice echoed from the front hallway. "It's for you."

Billy stood quickly. "Excuse me, guys." He hurried out the room.

Everyone else looked at each other with their own confusion. Why would someone be looking for Billy at Adam's house? He hadn't mentioned a girlfriend to any of them.

Adam reentered, followed by Billy and a tall striking red head. She was dressed casually in jeans and a pullover sweater with her hair swept up in a high ponytail, but as she peered at them through her black rimmed glasses, she had a very no nonsense air about her. Despite that, she was very attractive.

Jason gazed at her unabashedly. "Well hello." He said, leaning back coolly in his chair.

She blatantly ignored him, while Billy rolled his eyes. "Everyone, this is Dr. Heather Thompson. She teaches at the University with me. Heather, this is Trini, Kim, Tommy; you met Adam, and Jason."

Heather glanced around the room, giving the group a warm smile. "Nice to meet you all."

"Can I get you something to drink, Heather?" Adam asked. "Tea or coffee?"

"A cup of coffee sounds terrific, thank you."

Kim jumped to her feet. "I'll get it, Adam. You sit and relax." Before he could answer, Kim hurried from the room, grateful for the distraction from her own personal life.

Adam nodded to the bar stool next to where Tommy was sitting. "Have a seat."

"Thank you." She sat down, adjusting slightly to make herself more comfortable.

"So, Heather." Jason began, "what exactly are you a Doctor of?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I have my doctorates in Psychology and Parapsychology. I have also conducted numerous sleep studies." She glanced at Billy who shifted uncomfortably.

Tommy leaned forward, interested. "What kind of sleep studies?"

"Dream research." She stated simply.

Kim reappeared, handing a steaming mug to Heather before taking her place on the couch.

"Parapsychology..." Jason smirked. "Like ghosts and psychics?"

Heather was unmoved by Jason's sarcasm. "At it's very basic simplification, yes."

Billy moved uncomfortably as a silence fell over the group. He knew that his friends were wondering why Heather had suddenly showed up at Adam's house, especially under the circumstances. He glanced at Heather who seemed to be acutely aware of what he was thinking.

She cleared her throat and turned to Adam. "May I use your restroom?"

Adam nodded. "Sure, it's down the hall, second door on the left."

She nodded her thanks and made her exit. As soon as she was gone, Jason spoke up. "Way to go, Billy. She's hot. A little weird...but hot. You always did have a thing for the eccentric type."

Billy felt the tips of his ears burn hot as he glared at Jason. "It's not like that, Jason. We work together, that's all."

Jason furrowed his brow as glanced around the room at the faces that mirrored his own confusion. "Okay, so if she's not your girlfriend, what's she doing here?"

Here we go, Billy thought, taking a deep breath. "I've been having these really weird dreams lately. She's kinda been helping me interpret them."

Kim watched him with concern. "What kind of dreams?"

"Things from high school. I think they're repressed memories." Billy fell silent as he looked around at his friends.

"Okay," Jason pushed. "So why is she here?"

Tommy saw a flicker of fear cross Billy's face as he searched for the answer to Jason's question. He had known Billy for a long time and could not remember an instance when he had seemed so unsure.

When Billy finally spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper. "She thinks that my recent dreams may be linked to Kat's death."

The silence that followed was so thick that it threatened to suffocate everyone in the room. No one was able to speak as the implications of Billy's statement sunk in.

Jason finally let out a small laugh. "Are you serious?"

Billy only nodded.

"Billy, you know I've always respected that marvelous cranium of yours, but I gotta tell you, bud, that girl's taking you on some kind of head trip."

"You don't understand, Jason." Billy shook his head. "These memories, they're real. I've effectively blocked out a whole chunk of my life at Angel Grove, and so have all of you."

Seeing that he was getting upset, Trini laid a soothing hand on his knee. "What are you talking about, Billy?"

"Maybe I should explain." Heather reappeared suddenly in the doorway.

Jason, now getting very irritated, folded his arms firmly over his chest. "Please do."

Without ceremony she took her place next to Tommy on the barstool. "What do you remember about high school?"

"What is this group therapy now?" Jason spat.

Tommy had had enough of his friend's rude behavior. "Jason, would you just chill out?"

Jason sank back into his chair and sulked.

Heather looked at Tommy. "What do you remember?"

Without thinking, Tommy glanced at Kim who was watching him. They both looked away quickly. "I remember getting elected class president, karate, hanging out at the youth center..." He racked his brain trying to come up with more.

"Kim was homecoming queen." Trini broke in. "Billy was head of the Science Club."

"I remember gymnastics." Kim offered. "And Trini took states in track our junior year."

Heather looked at Jason. "What about you?"

When he didn't answer, Adam spoke up. "Jason played Soccer, and some football."

Heather nodded as they rattled off more of the activities they recalled from high school. "Do you remember anything extraordinary happening?"

The group looked around the room at each other, trying to understand what she meant. Tommy finally shook his head. "Not that I remember. We were pretty average." Heather smiled softly at him. "What is it that you think you know about us?" He watched Billy closely, looking for an answer from him. Billy sat perfectly still, staring at his hands.

"Through my work with Billy, I have discovered a few things about each of you that I believe has been erased from you memories, either by you or some external force."

"What kinds of things?" Kim was beginning to feel a little freaked out.

Heather sighed. "It's something that you're going to have to figure out on your own. But I can help you."

Jason had finally had enough. He stood quickly. "This is ridiculous. If you guys wanna stay here and buy into her hocus pocus, be my guests. Leave me out of it." With that he stalked out of the room toward the kitchen.

Trini was thoughtful for a moment. "I think I'm with Jason on this one." She said softly. "I have to catch a plane home tonight. My cab's on the way. Besides, I'm not sure that I want anyone digging around in my brain." She stood up and followed Jason's path into the kitchen.

Heather sat quietly, but seemed unphased by either Jason's outburst or Trini's quick retreat. Tommy cleared his throat when the silence threatened to overtake them. "Look, why don't we order something to eat and just relax for a little while." He looked at Heather apologetically. "Maybe we can pick this up later?" She nodded.

"Pizza anyone?"

"That sounds great." Kim hopped up and followed him into the kitchen.

Adam stood also and began to head in the same direction but stopped and confronted Heather. His voice echoed the weariness in his eyes. "You said that this had something to do with Kat's death."

Heather gave him a sympathetic look. "I'm fairly certain, although, I must admit that I'm not really sure how."

He nodded and moved back towards the door. "It's a long drive back for you, I know. Any friend of Billy's is welcome here. There's plenty of room if you would like to stay."

She smiled warmly at him. "Thank you, Adam. That's very kind of you."

Adam walked into the hall, but instead of going to the kitchen, he walked the opposite direction and into his bedroom, closing the door behind him.

Billy sighed as his sat down next to Heather on Tommy's unoccupied barstool. "Sorry about Jason. He's usually not such a douche bag."

"It's okay. People tend to lash out at things that they can't fully comprehend."

"Yeah, but I never knew that my friends could be so close minded."

She smiled and put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't be so hard on them. You have all been through a rough couple of days. Emotions are running high. They'll come around."

"What makes you so sure?"

"They have to; otherwise, you will all be lost."


	4. Reconnections

Chapter four

The afternoon faded into twilight as the group settled in at Adam's for the night. Trini had long since left for the airport, sorry that she could not stay longer, but grateful to be returning to her family. Kim and Heather set themselves up in the spare bedroom while Tommy, Jason, and Billy prepared for a camp out on the floor of the living room.

Thankful to finally be back in his sweats, Tommy walked down the hall from the bathroom towards the living room. Jason was lounging on the couch with his feet propped up on the coffee table. He held the remote control in a death grip, cursing to himself that out of the 300 or so channels there was absolutely nothing worth watching on TV.

"Where is everyone?"

Jason sighed loudly and tossed the remote onto the table. "Adam's in bed, Kim's out back on the phone, and Billy and Heather are in the dining room talking about God knows what."

Tommy glanced into the dining room where Billy and Heather sat at the table huddled around Billy's laptop, engaged in what seemed like a private conversation. He still wasn't really sure why Billy had brought her to Adam's or what this big secret of his was, but his gut told him to trust Billy's instincts. When he was ready to share his important news with his friends, he would. Tommy turned his attention to the French doors leading out of the living room onto the back deck. Through the glass panes, he could see Kim sitting on the porch swing lazily swaying back and forth. She was talking on her cell phone. Probably to her fiancé, he surmised.

As she finished her conversation and put her phone away, Tommy decided that he wanted to talk to her. They hadn't really had time for conversation earlier, and he knew it was time. He stepped outside into the chilly night air and silently cursed himself for not grabbing a jacket.

"Hey there," He said simply.

Kim didn't seem to be surprised at his appearance. "Hey back, wanna sit?"

He settled himself next to her. He had initially thought that being so close to her would be awkward at the very least, but there was only the warm, friendly comfort that had always accompanied Kim's presence.

"We haven't gotten a chance to catch up." The words sounded lame compared to the poignant lyrics he would have like to have spouted.

Kim simply smiled. "You're right. Tell me what you've been up to."

"Not much really, odd jobs here and there, nothing much to speak of. I just can't figure out what I want to do. What will make me happy, you know?"

She nodded. "I totally get it. But it's okay, Tommy. Most people can't decide what makes them happy. The most we can hope for is that the decisions we make lead us in that general direction."

Tommy grinned at her. "Wow, I never thought of it that way. Usually people are always telling me to make up my mind...settle down."

She shook her head. "At least you haven't gotten yourself tied into something that makes you miserable. I think keeping your options open is a smart thing to do, whether it's in your career or relationships."

A silence fell over them as Tommy looked out at the trees in the yard, taking in her words. Then he looked at her. "What about you? Engaged, huh? I guess your choices have led you in the right direction."

Kim blushed slightly. "Yeah, I guess I've been lucky."

Another silence.

"I'm really happy for you Kim."

She stared at him for what seemed like an eternity. She couldn't believe that she had kept her distance for so long from someone who had at one time been her best friend. She suddenly felt very stupid. "Thanks, Tommy."

Before she knew what was happening, she leaned into him as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her to his chest.

"I've really missed you." She found herself talking into his shirt.

He smiled and laid his cheek on her hair. "Me, too."

Billy sighed as he closed his laptop. "This is all a little hard to digest, Heather."

"I know, but I'm hoping if we can get everyone else on board, we can get to the bottom of this."

He ran his hand through his hair. "I'm beat. We're gonna have to move forward in the morning. I'm going to change, then hit the couch."

She nodded. "I think I'll fix some tea and head to bed myself."

"Good night." Billy stood. "You'll look in on me tonight?"

"Of course. Good night."

As Billy departed Heather walked into the kitchen. After locating the tea kettle, she filled it with water and set it on the stove. From the kitchen window, she could see out onto the back porch. She saw Kim and Tommy wrapped up in a friendly embrace, and she smiled. It was always promising to see a reconnecting friendship. Those connections were going to be of the utmost importance if her suspicions were correct.

In the living room, Jason had finally had enough of the TV. He threw the remote down and walked into the kitchen, stopping short when he saw Heather standing by the stove. Without a word, he reached for a glass from the cupboard and filled it with water from the sink.

"Tired to the tube." It was a statement rather than a question.

"Yeah, I suppose." He followed her gaze out the window and saw Kim and Tommy on the porch.

"They're reconnecting." She said. "Two people who had an intimate relationship are finding each other again."

"What are you psychic now?"

She smiled. "Just a conscientious observer. It doesn't take a psychic to see that they had something special once. And the dissolution of that relationship has kept them apart for far too long."

He put his glass down and confronted her. "Since you're such a 'conscientious observer', then I guess that you know that I don't trust you, and I'm still not exactly clear why Billy has brought you here."

"I'm here to help you."

"Help with what?" He was getting frustrated not getting a straight answer.

Sighing, Heather decided to level with him. "Each of you has a special gift; a gift that used to be a part of your everyday lives. Somewhere along the way, those gifts got lost to your subconscious. I'm still not sure if it was a result of something external or if you have all blocked it out yourselves."

"And all of this stems from some crazy mind games that you've been playing with Billy. Well, I'll tell you what, sister, I am not buying it. Not without some kind of tangible proof."

"You want proof?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

"Alright, then. You go on to bed. By morning, you will have your proof."

Jason stopped suddenly weary that she was playing some head game with him. "Why not now?"

Heather sighed in frustration. "Jesus, do you have to be so difficult. Patience is a virtue. So, you'll just have to wait."

He stared at her for what seemed like forever, trying to find answers in her gaze. He found nothing. "Fine, we'll do this on your terms. But if in the morning, I don't get the proof I want, you're outta here. Agreed?"

"Fine." She lifted her chin defiantly.

"Fine." With that, Jason spun on his heel and retreated back into the living room. As he fixed his blanket on the floor, he wanted to believe that come morning she would be out of their lives, but a nagging feeling in the back of his mind was beginning to make him uncertain.

Despite the warmth of Tommy next to her, Kim shivered slightly.

"You cold?" That was a stupid thing to say, he thought as he released her.

"Yeah, and really tired. I should go to bed."

Tommy stretched his arms over his head. "Yeah, I could use a few zzz's myself."

When Jason had finally settled his mind enough to allow him to sleep, he found himself sitting at small round table in a large smoky room, crowded with people. The neon on the walls seemed to glare at him as the techno music threatened to split his ear drums. He was staring at a set of maroon velvet curtains that he could tell hid a stage behind them.

A young, cute waitress stopped at his table, smiled brightly and left a drink on his table that he didn't remember ordering. He sipped it and grimaced as the unmistakable bite of tequila burned its way down his throat.

Suddenly, the music stopped and the lights dimmed as the crowd around him began to take their seats. The room grew silent as the curtains began to open to a large almost empty stage, save for a large platform that ran the length of the back wall. As the stage lights came up in the back, five silhouettes, decidedly female, could be made out standing on the platform. A slow, moving rhythm began to play as a light fog began to penetrate the stage. One by one, the figures emerged downstage and into the light, each singing in a low, sultry voice that would bring any man to his knees.

Jason was mesmerized by the five women, swaying and gyrating their hips to the beat. Somewhere in the back of his mind, something seemed vaguely familiar about them. He knew that he didn't recognize any of the faces, but it was their clothes. They were all dressed in very slinky, very sexy satin dresses, but each was a different color. Red, blue, black, yellow, and pink. Something about the colors hypnotized him, but he couldn't for the life of him figure out the significance.

"Wow, that's quite an imagination that you have." A female voice purred in his ear.

He jumped and blushed as he realized that he had been staring at the scantily clad women on the stage. Then he turned and glared at Heather, who was now sitting right next to him.

"Don't worry," she smirked. "I won't tell anyone."

He rolled his eyes. "What do you want?"

She reached forward and took his hand in her own. "I want to show you something."

Suddenly, Jason found himself standing in another large room. But there was no music, no stage, and no hot dancers. Instead, the room was nearly empty save for a large fireplace casting an orange light on a single table centered with candles and a vase of flowers.

"What the hell is going on here?"

Heather who was still standing next to him smiled. "You wanted answers. I'm prepared to give you a taste." When he looked at her in utter confusion, she continued. "When I was seventeen, I discovered that I had this...gift. I could enter into other people's dreams and take an active part, if I chose to do so. I can take people anywhere they want to go, at any time." Jason raised a skeptical eyebrow. She sighed. "Just watch."

She closed her eyes and raised her hands slightly. A soft, romantic stream of music began to lilt through the room. Two currents of smoke appeared from nowhere on opposite ends of the room. As Jason watched, two figures began to manifest before his eyes. As they became clearer, he immediately recognized them. Tommy and Kim.

The pair looked dazed as they stared at each other in wonderment, neither saying a word. Then, as if swayed by the music, they began to approach each other.

"Can they see us?" Jason was amazed as the scene unfolded in front of him. Tommy and Kim stood face to face now, talking in hushed voices that he could not make out.

"Only if we want them to. But for now, no, they can't see us."

Jason was beginning to feel lightheaded. "Okay, so are they in my dream, or am I in theirs?"

"Actually, we're all sharing the same dream."

He turned away from Kim and Tommy to look her in the eye. "And you did all this. Can you control them?" Suddenly he was afraid of the answer, because if she could control them, then she could control him. He started feeling very anxious.

Heather shook her head. "I can only manipulate the dream, not the people. Anything they do is of their own volition."

Tommy blinked several times as his eyes adjusted to the sudden change in light. He had been on a fishing trip that he and Adam had gone on not too long ago, and then he was staring across the room at Kim. He shrugged as he moved toward her. What the hell? It could be worse.

He towered almost a foot taller than her as she stared up at him, her eyes mirroring the same questions that were flying through his own head. "Tommy," she found it hard to even say his name. "What are we doing here?"

Not really sure how to answer, all he could say was, "I think we're dreaming."

Kim found herself being swayed by the soothing music as she watched the fire light flicker across his handsome features. She gave him a sassy smile. "Is it my dream or yours?"

Feeling a little lightheaded, Tommy raised an eyebrow. "Does it matter?"

"I guess not." The prospect of playing the dream out with no consequences to speak of was making Kim feel a little brave. "I mean, if it is only a dream..." The words stopped in her throat as his lips met hers in a dizzying kiss that suddenly made her weak in the knees.

"Holy shit!" Jason blurted out as Tommy and Kim locked lips.

Heather shook her head. "Very poetic."

"I'm just...well; I'm shocked to be honest." Jason had seen the pair kiss in high school. In fact, they did it so much that it got downright annoying. But he never expected to see it happen again.

"You know the expression 'I drunk man's words are a sober man's thoughts?'" He nodded. "Dreams are kinda like that. People can be more expressive in dream without any fear of consequence or retaliation."

They watched as the scene began to heat up as hands began to roam around bodies and kisses became more passionate. Finally, Tommy reached for Kim's shirt and began to pull it upwards.

"Uh, oh." Heather said. "Time to go."

Jason stared as Kim's shirt went over her head and landed on the floor at their feet. "Come on, it's just getting good."

She rolled her eyes, "Would you want your friends spying on you while you were getting in your dreams?"

He shrugged in defeat. "Alright, let's go. But could you send me back to the cabaret show with the hot singers? That was quite nice."

"You're incorrigible." With a wave of her hand, they disappeared.

Jason sat straight up and shook his head his head as he found himself staring at the bright blue clock on Adam's DVD player. It was the only illumination that told him that he back on Adam's floor, Tommy and Billy on either side of him, snoring peacefully. What a crazy fucking dream, he thought as he dropped his head in his hands. He had truly never thought that he would see the day that he would be having wet dreams about his two of his best friends. He pounded his palm against his forehead, trying to erase the image from his mind. Finally, he lay back down and tried desperately to bring back the girl's on the stage.


	5. Group Therapy

Billy sat upright with a jerk, biting his lip to keep from crying out. He looked around frantically at the unfamiliar surroundings willing his heart to slow down before it ripped right out of his chest. The soft sounds of Tommy and Jason sleeping peacefully beside him on the floor reminded him that he was in a safe place. He breathed out slowly. As he glanced out the glass panes of the French doors, he noticed the deep blue hue of the lightening sky. It was almost daybreak.

It was the dream. The dream that he was becoming all too familiar with, yet this one had been different. More sinister. Just like...Billy suddenly felt sick to his stomach. Just like the one he had the night Kat had died. He hadn't actually seen what happened to Kat in his dream, but the overwhelming feeling of dread had told him that something was wrong. The phone call from Tommy the next morning had confirmed that feeling.

Billy threw back his covers and jumped to his feet, Tommy and Jason were okay, but the others...Without thought to noise or whether or not he would wake anyone, he tore down the hall towards the spare bedroom. As he passed the bathroom, the door opened, and he collided with Heather. She gripped him firmly by the shoulders to steady him.

"Easy, Billy."

Billy suddenly felt as if he was hyperventilating. "But...the dream...I...have to check..."

"It's okay, Billy." Heather spoke to him in the same tone that his mother would use when he complained about vampires living in his closet. "I checked Adam, and I just left Kim. They're both fine."

As his breath began to ease, he felt the panic begin to dissipate. "You're sure."

"Yes."

He reached out and pounded his fist on the wall. He was angry at himself for overreacting. "These stupid dreams." He ground through his teeth. "I think I am going mad. Why is this happening to me?"

"I don't know. But if the dreams are getting closer, then we're running out of time." Heather rubbed the back of her neck to steady her own nerves. She didn't need to be in Billy's dream to know that he had seen something awful. "What was it?"

"It was the shadow. That fucking shadow. It's evil, Heather, I can feel it. Last time I felt it this strong was the night that Kat died." He turned and leaned his back against the wall.

"What the hell is all the racket?" They turned to see Adam standing in the hallway, staring at them through still weary eyes.

"Bad dream." Billy said quickly. "Sorry we woke you."

Adam stretched his arms over his head. "No harm, I guess. The sun's getting ready to come up." Though he sounded alert, Billy noticed the dark circles under his eyes and an ashen tone to his face. He looked like he had not slept well. Billy wondered briefly if Adam had been having nightmares, and then quickly admonished himself. _Of course he's not sleeping well, his wife just died, you idiot._

Adam noticed Billy's stares and narrowed his eyes at the pair in front of him. "Yeah, anyway, I going to make some coffee if anyone wants any." But he made no move to leave.

Billy realized that he and Heather were blocking the hallway. He moved to stand next to Heather. "Sorry."

As he passed them, Adam gave them both another queer look, and disappeared around the corner.

"You see that?" Billy gestured toward where Adam had just left. "My friends think I'm nuts."

Heather watched him with sympathy. "Go get a shower. When everyone's up we'll sit them down and get to the bottom of this. It's time they know the truth."

"Do you think they're ready?" Billy was uncertain.

"They have to be."

By the time Billy got out of the shower and dressed, he found that the others were already up. Kim, Tommy, and Heather sat at the dining table drinking coffee and perusing the morning paper; very little was being said. He inhaled deeply to let the unmistakable smell of bacon cooking invade his nostrils.

"Morning everyone." He tried to give them his best smile.

Kim eyed him knowingly. "Feel better?"

Billy felt himself blush with embarrassment. "Sorry I woke everyone up this morning."

"Don't worry about it, Bro." Tommy folded up his section of the paper and laid it in front of him. "I love getting up before the sun."

"When exactly was the last time you got up before the sun?" The group turned as Jason whisked in from the kitchen carrying a large plate of bacon.

Tommy glared at him. "When was the last time that you failed to miss a chance to rag on me?"

Jason clapped him on the back. "Probably the last time you got up before sunrise, my friend."

The group chuckled. Even Billy found himself feeling the tension ease as he listened to the friendly banter between them. Jason moved back towards the kitchen sidestepping Adam who had a platter of scrambled eggs and toast in one hand and a balanced stack of empty plates in the other.

"This is too much, you guys." Kim eyed the table full of food spread out before her. She reached out and quickly snagged a piece of bacon. "You're going to spoil me."

Adam smiled as he sat across from her. "Your man doesn't cook for you?"

Kim snickered. "Are you kidding? He can't even make a decent pot of coffee." The comment was met by another round of giggles.

"Speaking of coffee, I'm going for more." Heather stood. "Anyone else need some?"

"I'll take a cup, if you don't mind." Billy spoke up.

She smiled. "Of course." She disappeared in the kitchen.

Kim leaned over to Billy. "Are you sure that there's nothing going on between you two?"

"I'm sure, Kim." He rolled his eyes at her. The truth was there really was nothing between them. He had known Heather for five years, since he started teaching at UCLA. She had shown him the ropes, and they had become fast friends.

"Okay, just asking." Kim shrugged as she reached for another slice of bacon and munched it happily.

In the kitchen, Heather found Jason pulling a batch of biscuits out of the oven. She scooted passed him and poured herself some coffee before filling Billy's cup. She glanced at him.

"Sleep alright last night?" She asked nonchalantly.

"As a matter of fact, I had some strange dreams last night."

"I know."

He set the hot pan of biscuits on the stove and turned to face her. "Really, and how do you know that?"

"I was there, remember? How else do you explain me showing up in your dream?"

Jason was taken off guard. He really hadn't counted the possibility that his dream had been real. He narrowed his eyes at her. "Simple, really, you put the idea into my head before I went to bed last night. It's not inconceivable that I would dream about you. In fact, I'm sure that's exactly what you were counting on. It's all psychology, right?"

Heather sighed. He was going to be a pill to convince. "Okay, what about Tommy and Kim?"

He was silent for a moment. Things were beginning to get a little strange, but he wasn't about to let her know that she was making him uncomfortable. "Again, we had a conversation about them last night. They were on the brain, so to speak. That still doesn't give me any proof that what happened last night was anything other than a dream."

"You want more proof?" She was beginning to get a little agitated, but kept her temper in check. "Fine. Follow me. Oh, and keep an eye on Tommy and Kim."

Now more confused than ever, Jason followed Heather into the dining room. The mood was light, and everyone seemed at ease as he sat next to Adam across from Kim and Heather.

"So," Heather began. "other than Billy, of course, did everyone sleep well last night?" She glanced around the table before continuing. "Pleasant dreams, I hope."

Jason was floored as Kim and Tommy both turned a deep crimson and dropped their eyes to stare down at their plates. Kim looked horrified while Tommy had the tale-tell I-dreamed-that-I-got-laid-last-night-but-can't-ever-tell-anyone-about-it-because-I'll-never-hear-the-end-of-it grin on his face. Jason looked at Heather who simply smiled knowingly at him. It had happened. She had come into his dream and then pulled Tommy and Kim in with them. The knowledge made his head swim. The whole thing felt surreal.

The spell was broken when Kim's cell phone rang out loudly, causing her to jerked involuntarily. Without glancing at her phone, she quickly rose from her seat and excused herself, grateful for the distraction. She walked out of the dining room and out onto the back patio as she flipped her phone open.

"Actually, I had a strange dream last night." Adam said. "Zack was there, but he was standing far away. He was talking to me; kept telling me that I needed to give something to him, but I had no idea what he was talking about." He shook his head to shake the memory. "Then he just disappeared. It was really weird."

Billy glanced at Heather who was staring at him, a million questions etched in her features. He knew what she was asking, and he nodded in confirmation. Adam's dream was another link in the puzzle, but Billy had no idea how it fit.

"I guess we're all having bizarre dreams." Tommy commented, sipping his coffee.

Jason couldn't help himself as he grinned at Tommy. "Why don't you tell us about your dream, Tommy?" He almost choked with laughter as Tommy's eyes got as big as saucers. _Hand caught in the cookie jar, eh bro?_ Jason mused.

Lucky for Tommy, he wouldn't have to divulge the details, because at that moment, Kim made her way back into the dining room. Her face was pale, and she looked as though she might faint where she was standing.

"Kim?" Tommy stood up. "Are you alright?"

She looked around the table at her friends, trying to find the words to tell them about the phone call she had just received. When she thought her legs wouldn't hold her any longer, Tommy grabbed her arm and ushered her back to her seat.

"Kim," Jason's concerned voice barely registered. "What's wrong?"

"That was Gustav on the phone, something happened to Trini on her flight home last night."

Billy felt his stomach turn to ice. "Is she okay?" was all he could manage.

"She's in a coma. They don't know what happened. She fell asleep on the plane, the next thing the stewardess knew, she was having some kind of convulsions. They landed the plane, but by the time the EMT's got to her, she was unconscious."

The silence hung heavy on the group as the news sunk in. Jason glanced from Heather to Billy easily reading the knowing dread on their faces. He suddenly stood up, almost knocking his chair over and pointed an accusing finger at Billy.

"What the hell is going on here, Billy? You know something, don't you? That's why you brought her here." He turned on Heather. "The two of you are keeping some kind of fucked up secret that has to do with his dreams, and now it's affecting the rest of us. First Kat now Trini. The two of you better start talking...now."

Billy put his head in his hands and breathed deeply. "You're right. There is something going on that's affecting all of us." He looked up at Jason. "But you won't understand it until you know the truth about yourself."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Jason was getting angrier. "You have both been speaking in riddles since she got here."

Tommy stood and put an arm on Jason's shoulder. "Easy, Jas." He turned to Billy speaking in a calm voice. "I think it's time you told us this amazing thing about ourselves that we seem to have forgotten."

He followed Billy's gaze to Heather, who had been watching silently.

"Your right." She said. "But I think we should do this in the living room."

Jason stood his ground. "Why the living room?"

Heather raised a defiant eyebrow. "The chairs are more comfortable." With that she left the dining room.

The rest looked at each other, uncertain what to do next. Finally, Adam shrugged and followed Heather out of the room with Jason close behind. Tommy nodded to Kim who took his outstretched hand and allowed him to lead her out. Tommy glanced back at Billy who still sat motionless in his chair.

"You coming, Billy?"

"Yeah, I coming." Billy took a deep breath before pushing himself away from the table and following the others into the living room.

As they each found a seat around the room, they watched Heather as she sat perched on the arm of the couch. None of them knew what to expect as she looked intently at each one of them. Jason shifted uncomfortably in the arm chair across from her feeling his patience wearing impossibly thin.

"So," He finally said, "What's the big surprise?"

Heather took a deep breath before she began speaking. "Yesterday I told you that there are things from your pasts that have buried deep into your subconscious. Billy and I have been working to unlock those secrets that he is carrying around in his head, but we have come to an impasse; a locked door. Billy's unconscious mind has been unwilling to go any further alone. That's where you come in."

"I don't get it." Kim said, "What does it have to do with us?"

Billy spoke up. "There's something locked away that affects all of us. I think that we all need to find out together what is behind this door."

Tommy leaned forward on the couch, his hands on his knees. "How exactly do we so that?"

Billy looked at Heather, who took the cue. "You probably learned in science class that there are several different stages of sleep. In the very deepest stages, the mind begins to lose touch with the outside world. It's not like normal dreaming. In regular dreams, the mind is still aware of it's external self. That's why, when you have a nightmare, you can startle yourself awake. In these internal stages of sleep, the mind is not distracted with outside influences and the spirit is actually able to travel into what is called the Dream Dimension. It's more commonly called Astral Projection. When the soul is seemingly able to transport itself through time and space, it is traveling through the Dream Dimension. During these astral projection phases, people have been known to have influenced the physical world from hundreds, even thousands, of miles away." She paused for a moment to let the information sink in.

Adam blew out a low whistle. "Wow, that's a lot to take in."

"Yes, it is. Especially if you haven't experienced before."

"Is that what happened last night?" Jason's tone had lessened quite a bit and was now replaced with genuine curiosity.

Heather nodded. "Sort of." Then she explained to the others who looked questioningly at Jason. "I have harnessed the ability to travel at-will in and out of others' dreams. Last night, I entered into Jason's dream, and we...took a trip." She watched Jason almost smile when he remembered what they had witnessed between Tommy and Kim.

"So were we traveling in this other dimension?"

She shook her head. "Not exactly. I pulled you into the very outer stage of astral projection. Your mind still had control over your external body, but we were very close."

Kim rubbed the back of her shoulders to get rid of the mounted tension in her muscles. "You still haven't said how this involves us."

"The door that Billy has been hesitant to walk through alone, is a very real place. It lies in the outskirts of the Dream Dimension." She hesitated before continuing. "I want to take all of you there with him. It may be the only way to find out what has been happening to your friends."

"I totally understand if you guys don't want to, I mean, it does seem kinda far fetched." Billy's voice was quiet.

Tommy looked around the room at his friends. Jason, Adam, and Kim still looked unsure, but Billy pleaded with him silently. That was all Tommy needed to convince him to help; if for nothing more than to make Billy feel better. "I'm in." He said.

"What the hell," Jason added, "Sounds like it could be fun. I'm game."

Billy smiled his thanks at them both before turning to the others. "Adam? Kim?"

Adam sighed. "If it's helps us find out what happened to Kat, then alright."

As she looked around, Kim noticed that all eyes were on her. She wasn't entirely sure that she wanted anything to do with it at all. The whole thing sounded like some kind of witchcraft to her. But Billy needed her help. She shrugged. "Sure, why not, I mean, what have we got to lose? Except our sanity."

She stretched her legs out in front of her, pointing her toes to relieve the stiffness in her muscles. "So, how do we go about this?"

"Group hypnosis." Heather said simply. "It's a more controlled environment, and I won't have to go searching for all of you so it will save time." She stood up. "Everyone get comfortable." She left the room for a moment and soon return with a small metronome, used by musicians to keep a steady beat. She sat it on the coffee table and turned it on. The hand on the metronome began to move back and forth giving a light click as it reach one side then the other.

"Watch the metronome. Follow the hand back and forth. Focus your attention on the rhythm of the beat. Listen as you heartbeat begins to mimic the rhythm."

Heather's voice was low and even, and Tommy began to feel like she was talking from inside of his head as his muscles began to involuntarily relax.

"When your eyes feel too heavy to keep open, allow them to close."

Adam felt his eyelids closing down around his eyes, as if he had no power to stop them.

"Keep focusing on the rhythm. Allow your breath to fall in sync with the beat. Breath in, breath out."

Jason fell into darkness as his eyes closed. He began to feel light headed as the clicks from the metronome began to echo inside his head.

"Now, in your mind, begin to count backwards from ten. Inhale on the even numbers, exhale on the odd ones. When we reach one, you will all fall into a deep sleep. Ten...inhale...nine...exhale..."

Billy focused on his breathing as Heather counted backwards. The rhythm from the metronome seemed to be slowing down. He could feel his own heartbeat and breath slowing with the rhythm.

"eight...seven...six..."

Kim felt her anxiety melting away as she concentrated on the numbers being called and matching them with her breath. She couldn't remember the last time that she felt so at ease or relaxed.

"five...four...three..."

Heather watched as the group began to slump and slide down into their seats. They were responding better than expected. She turned her attention back to the metronome, and finally allowed her own eyes to fall closed.

"two...one..."


	6. Dreamscapes

**Sorry for the delay. The holidays kinda put me behind a bit. Here's Chapter six. I hope it answers a few questions, but leaves you with more. Please review. THanks. **

Chapter Six: Dreamscapes

Tommy blinked his eyes slowly and marveled at his surroundings. He definitely was not in Adam's living room anymore. The landscape laid out before reminded him of every post-apocalyptic movie he could ever recall seeing. The barren waste land consisted of little more than an occasional half-dead tree that threatened to completely topple over when the slightest breeze wandered across the plain. The sickening gray sky cast an eerie monochromatic tint to the flat land that seemed to stretch out about 40 feet in front of him and then suddenly stop. He could see Billy and Heather standing at the precipice, looking over the edge. The whole place made Tommy feel incredibly depressed and ill at ease.

"Man, is like something straight out of some Sci-Fi original movie or what?" Jason let out a low whistle. He glanced around to see that everyone was present and accounted for. Kim and Adam seemed just as disoriented as he and Tommy were.

"Is this it? Are we asleep and dreaming?" Tommy tried to get his bearings.

"I think so." Jason said.

"This place it creepy." Kim wrapped her arms around her in an involuntary defensive gesture.

Adam nodded absently. "Yeah," His mind began to wander to Kat. Had she been here? Had this place led her to her untimely death? A wave a nausea washed over him. He had hoped that he would be able to sense her here; that he would be able to feel her presence. All he felt was the same emptiness that had plagued him since that morning he had realized that she was gone. He gave Kim a grim smile when she put a hand on his shoulder.

"You alright?" Her voice was low and sympathetic.

Adam shook his head slowly. "I'm fine. I just...well, I was hoping for some sign of Kat."

She smiled sadly at him. "We still might find something."

"Hey guys, check this out." Jason called from where now stood next to Billy.

Adam, Kim, and Tommy made there way to where the land seemed to meet the darkening skyline and then disappear. Kim walked gingerly to the edge and peered over. The ledge dropped into what seemed like oblivion disappearing into a dense fog that blanketed the bottom of the cliff. There was no way to tell how far the drop was. As her eyes wandered out to the horizon, she saw more desolate terrain. The sky darkened as it stretched out over the forsaken land.

"What is this place?" Tommy set his jaw to keep the impending dread from coming through his voice.

Heather stared out into the blackness almost in a trance. "When we sleep, there are two gates that a soul may enter in the dream dimension; a positive gate and a negative one. We're standing at the thresh hold of the two gates." She gestured away from the cliff to the other horizon where the sky lightened into an almost serene shade of blue and greenery began to appear sparsely far off into the horizon. She turned back to the blackening sky. "This is called the Black Lands. Just beyond the horizon, black mountains rise so high that any light from the sky is virtually blocked out. This is where nightmares are born."

"Terrific." Jason was beginning to feel a little squeamish."We're not going in there, are we?"

Billy answered, "No, we're not going that far."

Jason let out the breath that he was holding in. "Thank God."

"It's this way." Billy turned suddenly and began walking along the edge of the cliff. Shrugging, the others had no choice but to follow.

Adam shuddered as a cold breeze whipped up over the edge of the long drop below. The group followed Billy in silence, trusting that their friend really knew where he was going. Although reality dictated that only a short while had past, it seemed as if they had been walking for hours. The landscape never changed and Adam was beginning to sense a feeling of hopelessness creeping into his stomach.

Finally Billy stopped to examine a sad looking brush pile. "This is it." Without warning, he hopped off the ledge and disappeared. The group gazed over the edge to see Billy standing on a ledge only a few feet from the top. From the ledge, they could see a narrow path that led downward into the dense fog below. Jason shrugged at the others and jumped down to meet Billy, followed by Heather.

"It's not far from here." Billy said as he started down the rocky path.

Kim eyed the path with reservation. It was only wide enough to permit one person at a time and the drop off was frightening to say the least. She looked at Tommy, uncertain. "I don't know if I can do this."

"Come on, Kim," he said, smiling reassuringly, "You were the balance beam Queen in high school. You can handle a little rocky path that leads to uncertain doom, right?"

She wrinkled her nose at him. "Thanks, Tommy, I feel so much better."

"Don't worry, Kim," Adam put a hand on her shoulder. "Stay between me and Tommy. We won't let you fall."

Seeing the resolve in Adam's face, she nodded. "Okay, let's go."

"That's my girl." The words were out before Tommy had realized what he said, and he prayed that he had merely thought them without speaking. The questioning looks from Kim and Adam told him he had put his big foot in his mouth. He blushed furiously. "I mean..."

"It's okay, Tommy," Kim waved him off, smiling. It wasn't unusual for any of the guys to refer to her and Trini as their "girls". They had since high school. They had been a tight nit group and definitely considered themselves as belonging to each other. Though she had to admit, hearing it from Tommy after so many years was a little disconcerting.

Adam couldn't hide the smile that crept across his face at Tommy's embarrassment. He decided that there would probably always be a certain awkwardness between the two of them, and one could hardly resist enjoying the show.

"Are we going to do this or what?" Kim straightened her back and lifted her chin. "Let's go."

Tommy nodded and leapt off the edge, landing nimbly on the ledge below. He looked up at them.

"You can do it." Adam whispered in her ear. "Focus on Tommy."

She gazed down at Tommy and imagined that she was back on the balance beam preparing for a dismount. The image gave her courage as she leaped into the air only briefly feeling the loss of ground beneath her feet before she landed solidly on ledge.

Tommy grinned at her. "Nice dismount."

"Thanks." No sooner had she gotten the words out when Adam was suddenly standing beside her.

"Everybody with us?" Jason called from where he stood only a few feet away.

"We're with you, bro." Tommy replied, turning to follow his friends down the path.

As they moved along the rocky terrain, Kim found her confidence returning. She kept her attention on the back of Tommy's head, consciously avoiding looking down.

In the front of the line, Billy began feeling more uneasy as they approached their destination. He was all too familiar with the path they were taking. The ledge became even more narrow causing him to flatten himself against the rock face and feel along the side with his hands. He glanced back and saw that the rest of the group had followed his lead. Gingerly, he moved step by step, willing himself to stay focused on the path in front of him. Just a little farther...Relief washed over him when his leading hand suddenly felt an empty space in front of him. He stopped, holding his hand up to signal the group to stop, and glanced back.

"This is it." He told Jason.

"Thank God." Jason announced, peering around Billy to get a better look at the mouth of the large opening in the side of the mountain. The cave was dark save for what little light the opening allowed in from outside. "Maybe I spoke too soon."

A light tapping on his shoulder made him turn to look at Heather. In her hand she held a flashlight that she offered to him. He lifted an eyebrow at her. "Where the hell did you get that?"

"I thought it, and here it is."

Jason was astounded. "You mean you just pulled that thing out of mid-air."

She smiled at him. "It's amazing what you can do when you can control the environment around you."

"Here ya go, Billy. Shine a little light in there, bro." He handed the light to Billy, then turned back as Heather tapped his shoulder again. She offered him his own flashlight. Shaking his head, he took the offering. "You're going to have to teach me how to do that."

"It'll have to wait til our next outing." She said, handing another flashlight behind her to Tommy.

Jason followed Billy into the mouth of the cave. They moved only far enough in to allow the others to catch up.

"What now?" Kim asked, as she flicked on her own light, her voice echoing throughout the cave.

Billy shined a beam of light down a corridor. "This way." Without ceremony, he began down the trek into the dark passageway. With only their flashlights to guide them the group followed him him.

Tommy moved his light from one side of the cramped passage to the other. "Have I ever told you guys that I'm just the slightest bit claustrophobic?" He was beginning to feel the affects of a full blown attack coming on.

"You could've mentioned that before we started walking down this incredibly narrow space." Jason admonished him.

"Say the Pledge of Allegiance." Kim said suddenly.

"What?" Tommy was sure that he had misunderstood her. Maybe his mind was playing tricks on him.

"Say the Pledge of Allegiance." Kim said again. "Or anything else the you have ever memorized in your life that you can recall easily. It'll help you focus on something other than this confined space."

As stupid as it sounded, Tommy had to admit that it made sense. He began reciting the Pledge of Allegiance quietly to himself. "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America..."

There was no sense of time passing as the group moved further into the cave. By the time Tommy was on his fifth recitation, Jason was ready to tell him to give it a rest. Suddenly the corridor opened up into a large, round room. The walls were made of the natural stone of the mountain. Along the walls, lit torches stood guard, casting eerie shadows with their light.

Tommy let out a breath. "This is more like it."

"Did it work?" Kim questioned.

He nodded. "Yeah, it did. I hardly noticed the close quarters." He smiled warmly at her. "Thanks, I'll have to remember that little trick."

She returned his smile. "Anytime."

Jason and Heather followed Billy across the room to stand in front of a very large, intimidating door that reached to the ceiling.

"This is as far as I've ever come." Billy told them.

Jason laid a hand on his shoulder. "Well, we're here with you now. Why don't we go in and find out what kinds of secrets are being held behind this door?"

Billy nodded and, placing both hands on the massive door, he pushed hard. The hinges creaked loudly as the door moved forward allowing them entrance into another large room. This room was also illuminated by torches lining the walls. It was empty save for six granite pedestals that formed a circle in the middle of the room. There was an electricity in the air that was felt as each of them entered.

"Whoa." Was all Jason could say.

"Do you guys feel that?" Adam asked. "There something in the air. Almost like the room is..."

"Alive." Kim finished, standing next to him.

"So what now?" Tommy's question prompted them to turn to Billy.

He shrugged. "I don't know. I told you, I've never been this far before."

Kim left the group and made her way to the center of the room where the six pedestals stood. As she got closer, she began to feel an irresistible pull toward them. Moving around the circle, she saw that atop of each pedestal rested an engraved stone box. She glanced at the pictures on each box. On the first, the head of a saber-toothed tiger glared at her, it's mouth open in a wide roar. Two daggers rested above the head, crossed in an X. The next box was marked with a three horned monster; a lance crossed behind it. A tyrannosaurus Rex was stamped on the next box. In it's small arms, it wielded a mighty sword. She moved on to the next. A mastodon stood proud on the box, a large ax rested across it's incredibly long tusks. The next box finally made Kim stop.

"Hey guys, check this out." She stared at the familiar markings etched into the box. A large taloned creature stared menacingly at her as it rose to the heavens. It carried a fiery bow in its claws. She lightly ran her finger over the picture, knowing that it should mean something to her.

The others followed her suggestion and made their way to the circle of pillars; each feeling the same strange pull to one of the boxes. Tommy was in awe at the intricate detail of the dragon on the box before him. The large beast intertwined itself around a blazing sword with a lion's head in place of the hilt. Under the lion's opened jaw, a dagger crossed the blade of the sword. It was the most amazing thing he had ever seen.

Around the circle, Jason, Adam, and Billy were each mesmerized by their own stone box. When each one was in place, the lids of the boxes suddenly opened of their own volition, lifting silently then falling back on their hinges. Each box contained a round orb about the size of a baseball. As they gazed at them, the orbs suddenly came to life, each glowing a different color. Adam's was black, Kim's pink, Jason's red, and Billy's blue. Tommy's gradated between green and white. As the group unconsciously focused on the soft lights, the orbs rose into the air to eye level.

Tommy watched the blinking ball of light in front of him, suddenly unaware of anything around him. As he stared, the light grew brighter, finally causing him to squint his eyes. He knew he should but was unable to look away. The light had him now. He could feel it penetrating his skull, causing him to feel lightheaded and dizzy. It pounded his brain until he felt as if his head would split in two. Just when he thought he could not take anymore, it stopped.

There was nothing. He could not hear anything nor could could feel the ground beneath him any longer. He was floating. The green light surrounded him now, but he no longer felt the pressure in his head. Where was he? Was he dead? Had the orb somehow transported him to somewhere else? In his mind, he answered his own question. He was inside the orb itself. He knew that he should be afraid, or at the least a little freaked out, but he wasn't. He felt strangely; at peace.

As he looked out into the vast green and white light before him, he began to see images. Fuzzy at first; they soon began to take familiar shapes. He saw himself, just a teenager, making his way across the parking lot of Angel Grove High School for the first time. He saw his friends. Jason, Billy, Trini, Zack, and Kim. He smiled as he remembered the first time he had talked to Kim. He was at his locker, feeling clumsy and awkward, basically feeling like most teenagers in the throes of puberty. But Kim had been so confident as she approached him with that determined gait that she had and invited him to hang out with her and the others after school. He had gladly accepted and at that moment he realized as he watched her skipped away that he would never be able to deny her anything. As the memory faded, another took it's place. He was in a dark place surrounded by strange creatures. Among them, a crazy woman with a stupid hat on was ranting and cackling like an old hag. Tommy struggled to remember the familiar woman. Then it hit him like a brick. Rita. Rita Repulsa.

Suddenly the memories washed over him like a bucket of cold water had been dumped on his head. The green power coin. Rita had turned him into the Green Power Ranger. He had been sent to destroy the other Power Rangers. He had fought Jason, nearly destroying them all. After Rita's evil spell was broken, Zordon had made it possible for him to fight beside the other Rangers. The memories moved faster now. Losing his powers, then being resurrected as the White Ranger. Lord Zedd. Tommy moved through time, witnessing the seemingly endless barrage of battles fought and won. Finally, one last memory brought itself to light. The final battle.

As the Power Rangers fought another of Lord Zedd's monstrous creations, Zedd had finally found his way into Zordon's control room. There, a great battle had ensued between Zordon and Zedd. The Rangers arrived just as Zedd was preparing to destroy Zordon. With his impending demise at hand, Zordon destroyed the Power Coins and sent the Rangers, powerless, back to Earth. Before Zedd could finish him off, Zordon self destructed the control room, destroying himself along with Zedd. The Rangers had returned to Earth unharmed, all memories of ever being Power Rangers completely erased.

Tommy felt sick to his stomach as the memories seeped into his brain, returning to their rightful place. As they began to fade, he felt the green and white lights slowly begin to disengage themselves from his mind until he found himself standing once again in the cave surrounded by his friends. As he looked around the circle, he realized that they had each had the same experience. Their own memories being returned to them. The ramification of the return of the memories was hardly fathomable. They had been other people back then. People that they had forgotten. They had been heroes; the saviors of Earth. They had been the Power Rangers.


	7. Choices

**Finally chapter seven is up. Sorry for the delay, but this was a very difficult chapter to write (and a long one). Please leave comments and suggestions so that I know that the story still makes sense. Hopefully a bunch of questions are answered in this chapter. Happy reading.  
**

Chapter seven: Choices

Deep within the dark realm, the Tower of the Guardian of the Gate of Darkness reached high into the sky, dwarfing even the enormous canyons of the surrounding mountains. Within its walls, Madeove, a small, stumpy goblin half walked, half waddled quickly down the dark corridor towards the great throne room where the Guardian of Darkness normally reigned.

Madeove had been the Guardian's hand servant; always at his call. The thing about the Guardians, both light and dark, was that the balance of power was their top priority. They honored that creed and never thought to cross into the other's realm. When the Dark Lord had come to Madeove and offered him unlimited power over the Dream Realm, he had jumped at the chance. Already having the Guardian's trust, it was easy enough to catch him off guard and allow the Dark Lord to banish him into another dimension. Once the take over of the Dark Realm was complete, they would conquer the Light Realm, and the Dark Lord would reign over the Earth's realm while Madeove would rule the Dream world.

"Are you entering of not?" A deep voice boomed from the other side of the door, shaking Madeove from his reverie.

Taking a deep breath, he pushed the heavy door open and walked hesitantly inside. He walked quickly to the enormous throne in the center of the room, throwing himself to his knees. The Dark Lord floated effortlessly above the throne. He never appeared in any form other than that of a great black shadow with no features save a pair of the most evil red eyes that Madeove had ever seen.

"My Lord," Madeove struggled to find his voice. "There is news from the border. My spies have told me that the Rangers have found the cave of Remembrance. They have regained their memories…" he swallowed hard. "And they have their powers back."

Madeove shut his eyes tight as he waited for the Dark Lord's retaliation. None came.

"I needed those Humans sans their memories in order to make it easier to take them. However, they would eventually have to restore their powers for me to get access to them." He fell into a thoughtful silence. "We must simply change our plans. Madeove!"

"Yes, Master."

"Make sure that the Humans do not leave the cave of Remembrance. I want those Power Rangers alive and in my custody. Understand?"

"Yes, My Lord." Madeove bowed low as he inched back towards the door.

"And Madeove," The Dark Lord's red eyes narrowed at him. "Do not fail me. I may need the Power Rangers unharmed, but you are expendable."

Jason shook his head to clear his thoughts. They were the Power Rangers. The newly liberated memories felt like the final pieces of a puzzle had been put in place; only he had never known they were missing. While he reveled in the realization, the gravity of the truth began to weigh heavily on his shoulders. He watched the others in the circle, and knew that they felt it too. The silence was overwhelming, but he knew that they, as he did, struggled to find a way to voice what they had just experienced. Adam stared at the floor, while Kim had turned a grim shade of green and looked as though she would lose her lunch at any moment. Billy looked the least shocked which didn't surprise Jason. Billy had been the first to recognize that something was going on. Tommy was the only one in the circle that met Jason's gaze. In his eyes, Jason saw the same questions and concerns that churned in his own stomach.

He wanted to reach out to them all; talk to them about their new self-actualization. Even as he opened his mouth to speak, a thunderous rumble echoed throughout the chamber, threatening to shake them all to their knees. In the center of the circle, the floor seemed to open up, and thin beam of white light shot up from the floor through the ceiling. As they watched the light began to expand outward, stopping only when it had almost reached the pillars where they stood. From within the light itself, a human female form began to materialize.

"Welcome, Power Rangers," A deep, female voice filled the room. When none of them answered, the voice continued. "Do not be afraid. My name is Zuelle. You knew me formerlly as Zordon."

Tommy closed his eyes. All of this new information felt as if it would make his mind implode in on itself. Fortunately, Billy had the means to keep a rational mind. "Zordon? What do you mean? And why are we here? How come our memories were erased and then returned to us?" Once the words started coming out, Billy was unable to stop them.

"Easy, Billy." Jason put a hand on his friend's shoulder. He then addressed the voice. "I think what he's asking in a nut shell is 'what the hell is going on?' We watched Zordon die. He destroyed himself and Zedd."

Even as the light rustled slightly, the voice never waivered. "All will be explained in due time." Zuelle paused for a moment. "Every living thing is made up of two halves; male and female. In most species, the two coexist with one coming forth as dominate. In my species, we are one or the other, never existing together. Masculine and Feminine in their purest forms. You knew me in my former life as Zordon." She paused for effect, while the Rangers processed the information. "When Zordon was destroyed, I was born to take his place. It is a never ending cycle that allows my species to live without end."

Billy let out a low whistle. "Wow, so you never die."

"No, Billy, we simply move in and out of our different parts; sometimes male, sometimes female."

"That's great and all," Kim suddenly found her voice. "But that doesn't explain what we're doing here."

"You have been brought here to have your memories returned to you.

Adam cleared his throat. "Why were our memories erased in the first place?"

"When Zordon saw that he and Lord Zedd were about to be destroyed, he made the decision to remove your memories of being Power Rangers so that you would all be able to go on to live normal lives without the burden of the Rangers following you." Zuelle paused for a moment. "In hind sight, it was a foolish thing to do. It was wrong to deprive you of a very important part of your lives. I am sorry."

"So why now?" Jason said. "Why give our memories back now?"

"There are dark forces at work in the Dream realm. The Power Rangers are the only ones who can stop this evil from spreading throughout the rest of this dimension."

"What kind of evil?" Tommy stepped forward, his interest peeked.

"The Guardian of the dark dream portal has disappeared; taken by an unknown entity from another dimension. Whoever took them is slowly taking over the dream dimension with the ultimate goal of using human dreams to take control of your realm."

Kim snorted. "This is just so ridiculous. Why should we even believe you?"

"It has already begun. The dark force is preparing for domination by stealing the essence of humans. But something else has happened also. He has learned of the existence of the power Rangers."

The Zuelle's image wavered and disappeared. In her place, the image of two all too familiar people appeared, trapped by an unseen force that kept them levitated about five feet off the ground.

Kim's jaw dropped as tears welled up in her eyes. "Trini." She whispered.

"Zack." Jason ground through his teeth.

"The Dark Lord has trapped your friends' souls. In the end, his plan is to trapped each one of you and take your powers. When he has done so, he will use those powers to conquer your world."

Tommy ran his hand through his hair. "Dude, this is incredible."

"Where can we find him?" Billy spoke up.

"He is residing in the Dark Tower; where the Guardian of the Dark Realm reigns. It is there that he is holding your friend."

"How do we get there?" Billy asked, determined.

Zuelle turned her attention to the far wall at the entrance of the room. "Dream walker, come forward."

The authority in her voice made Heather jump. She had been standing quietly; content to watch from the shadows. She stepped uneasily forward.

Zuelle continued. "You will be their guide. You will lead the Power Rangers to the Dark Tower."

"Wait a minute," Heather began, but Zuelle had already turned her attention back to the Power Rangers.

"You will travel through the Forest of Weir, then the Dark City. There will be opposition. The Dark Lord will summon all of his minions to stop you."

Jason snickered. "We have plenty of practice with minions…apparently." He glanced at Tommy who shrugged and nodded. "But how do we go about getting rid of this guy?"

"The source of the Dark Lord's power lies within a the Dark Sphere of Asterove. He keeps it well guarded. You will need to summon the whole of your powers together to destroy it. Destroy the sphere and you will destroy him." Suddenly, Zuelle's light wavered. Her stoic face held a concerned expression. "There is trouble coming. The Dark Lord has learned of your presence here. Even as we speak, he has sent his goblins to get you."

Tommy cracked his knuckles. "Well, let's welcome them."

"That's what I'm talking about." Jason agreed.

Kim had other ideas. "Are you crazy? We're not prepared to fight these guys."

"She's right." Zuelle said. "You must go back to your world and prepare for the battle to come." She looked at Kim. "But you must not take too much time, or it will be too late to save the dream realm. Dream walker, take them now. It will be up to you to prepare them for their journey."

"But," Heather stuttered.

"There is no time." Zuelle insisted. "You must go."

Realizing that arguing would be pointless, Heather nodded. Closing her eyes, she focused on the Power Rangers. Adam began to feel dizzy as Heather prepared to take them back to their own dimension. Even as he felt himself moving back into waking consciousness, he called out to Zuelle.

"Wait! What about Kat…what happened to…?"

Adam opened his eyes to find himself sitting in his favorite arm chair in his living room, just as he had been when Heather had begun the hypnosis session. His friends were all there as well, each stretching their limbs to relieve the stiffness of being in same position for an extended period of time. Adam cursed under his breath. He was still unable to find out what happened to Kat. He stood up angrily and walked stiffly to the French doors looking out to the back deck. He absently noted that the sun was beginning to set and wondered how long they had been gone.

"Everyone okay?" Heather moved her head from side to side to stretch out the crick in her neck.

Tommy stood up, raising his arms above his head and feeling a satisfying pop in his back. "Man, that was weird." He put his hand on Kim's shoulder. She still sat in a daze but looked up at him with glazed eyes. She saw the concern in his eyes and nodded that she was okay.

"Can you guys believe that we had an entire chunk of our teenage years erased?" Jason said from his chair.

"Yeah, well, I would have preferred that they stayed gone." Kim stood suddenly, ignoring their gaping stares. "What? You guys think that we can just waltz into another dimension and take on some evil overlord? Does anyone besides me think that this is just an insane idea?"

Jason nodded. "Of course it's insane, Kim. But it's the fate of the world we're talking about here."

Kim folded her arms firmly across her chest. "Yeah, well, how do we know that this Zuelle is even telling the truth? This could be some elaborate trap, you know. Besides, who the hell does she think she is? First Zordon thinks it's okay to mess with our memories and now his 'female form' wants to screw with our minds even more. This is ridiculous and I want nothing to do with it." She turned and started down the hall towards the guest bedroom.

"But Kim," Tommy started after her.

Kim stopped short and spun around to face Tommy only to find herself just inches from him. She instinctively took a step back and slowly let out the breath caught in her throat. "Look, Tommy, I have a life back home, and people who depend on me. We are not teenagers anymore. Let Zordon or Zuelle or whoever find some more 'teenagers with attitude' to do his or her dirty work." She turned away from him.

"What about Trini?"

"Trini would understand." Kim hung her head and sighed heavily. "I'm drained, and I have a flight to catch in the morning." She forced herself to look into Tommy's eyes, fearing the disappointment she would find there. All she saw was empathy. "I think I would like to be alone." With that she moved into the guest bedroom and closed the door.

Tommy sighed and made his way back into the living room. He shrugged. "We may have to do this without Kim."

"You heard what Zuelle said," Billy shook his head dramatically. "We have to use all of our powers to destroy the sphere of Asterove."

Tommy fell heavy on the couch. "Well, we're going to have to figure out how to do it without Kim."

"Don't worry about Kimmy, bro." Jason said. "Give her some time to digest all of this. She'll come around."

Tommy nodded. "I just hope she comes around in time."

Steam filled the bathroom as the hot water quickly filled the large tub in the guest bathroom. Kim stared at herself in the mirror as she peeled off her clothes. Tommy was right, of course, there was no way that Kim, in good conscious, could leave Trini and Zack at the mercy of some maniac with a Napoleon complex. But couldn't help thinking of Sean and all of her friends back home. Things had been so simple when she had boarded the plane to California only two days earlier. She had planned on going to the funeral, spending a couple of days catching up with her friends and going back to her normal, boring life. Never in her wildest imagination had she thought she would get caught up in some kind of inter-dimensional war.

She pinned her hair to the top of her head and let out a long, deliberate breath. Hopefully, a soak in the steam filled bath tub would help to clear her mind and offer answers to her uncertainty. She carefully slipped into the near scalding water and sank into weightlessness. The hot water immediately began to let her tightened muscles to unwind. She closed her eyes and allowed her mind to drift into a state of total relaxation. She was so relax that she didn't realize that she began to slip into the first stages of sleep.

Kim had never felt more relaxed than she did at that moment. She stretched her arms high over head reveling in the soft cool grass on her back through her sheer sundress. She smiled feeling the warm sun on her face while the soft trickling of the stream bubbling next to her could barely be heard over the gentle rustling of trees overhead. Even with her eyes closed, she could feel a familiar, friendly presence next to her. "Isn't this wonderful, Sean?" Rolling to her side, she raised her lids to look into the eyes of the man that she loved. Only it wasn't Sean.

Kim bolted upright, blinking against the sun. "Tommy."

Tommy sat up, looking at her with a warm, but knowing smile.

"What are you doing here?" She stood quickly and moved away from him. He followed like a predator stalking his prey.

"You tell me, Kim. It's your dream."

She continued backpedaling until she backed into tree halting her escape. She stared at him suddenly painfully aware that he was bare-chested and looking oh-so-yummy. _Stop it, Kim_. She scolded herself.

He lifted an eyebrow. "Well?"

Raising her chin in defiance, she met his gaze. "I was hoping for Sean. You know, my fiancé?"

Tommy stopped only inches from her face. "And yet, here I am." As he leaned in closer to kiss her, she abruptly ducked and quickly moved out of the way.

"Look, Tommy, I know that the other night we let things get a little out of hand, but I'm in love with somebody else, and well, you just need to stay out of my dreams. Seriously."

She turned to leave but was stopped as large hand grabbed her roughly by the arm. She whipped her head around to stare into Tommy's dark eyes. Suddenly she was afraid. "There's really no need to leave so soon, beautiful."

Even as he said the words, Kim could hear something sinister in his voice. _This isn't right_, she thought. Suddenly, her instincts took over (instincts that she thought were long forgotten) as she brought her knee up and into his groin. Tommy doubled over in pain giving Kim the opportunity to escape his loosened grip and leap away from him, landing lithely in a fighting stance.

Tommy's howling began to morph into a low, dark laugh as he stood upright to look at her. Before her eyes, her friend slowly changed into an ugly gnarled goblin. He gave her a wide grin showing her his jagged teeth. She could hear more evil laughter coming from the brush around her and found herself surrounded by a half a dozen more goblins each wielding his own deadly looking weapon.

Now unsure of her fighting abilities, Kim glanced around the clearing looking for an escape. Looking up, she was struck with an idea. She gathered as much power as she could manage and leapt easily in the air reached above her head to grab an overhanging branch with both hands. Using the strength she had built up over her years as a gymnast, she pulled herself up until she was balancing gingerly on her feet. Then launching herself into the air, she performed a double flip and landed gracefully on the ground behind the goblins. Without hesitation she took off in a full run, hoping that years of training and conditioning would not fail her now. Her lungs burned as she ran through the trees amazed at how easily she was able to maneuver through the brush, avoiding trees and fallen limbs. Behind her, she could hear the goblins trailing behind her.

As she reached another clearing, she was halted as a menacing shadow loomed before her. She stumbled and reared back to catch her balance. Just a quickly as it appeared, it was gone. Her hesitation had given the goblins just enough time to reach the clearing and she found herself surrounded once more. She looked around for an escape, but none presented itself. There were neither overhanging trees nor anything to use as a weapon.

The head goblin, who had disguised himself as Tommy, snickered. "Nice try, beautiful. Some Power Ranger you turned out to be." He sneered.

Kim stopped. She was a the Pink Power Ranger. _How do I access the power? _She thought quickly, but she couldn't seem to remember. _Damn it._ Then it was too late. The goblins launched at her, striking out. Kim felt as if everything were moving in slow motion as she unwittingly dodged and countered their attacks with a series of flips and kicks. It felt familiar somehow, like she had been doing it her whole life. She had no clue how she did it, but she soon found herself alone again with unconscious goblins at her feet.

"Good, good," A deep, menacing voice spoke behind her. As she turned she saw the same shadow, now coming toward her. "Madeove was wrong, you are a strong Power Ranger, and your knowledge will give me the power to rule your world."

Knowing that she would easily be defeated, Kim did the only thing that she could. She screamed.


	8. Shadows in the Dark

**I can't believe that I cranked this chapter out so fast, but you know how it goes when you get on a roll, eh? Anyway, for those of you who have been asking, the fate of our fair Kat will be revealed before I'm done with this story, so fear not. Thanks to all of you who have taken the time to leave comments, it really helps. **

Chapter Eight: Shadows in the Dark

Billy sat on Adam's couch, feeling dejected and frustrated that he had not been able to control the situation better. He was generally the rational member of the group and he felt as if he had let them all down by letting it get so out of hand; letting his own fear hold him back. It was that fear that had kept him from telling them in the first place. Heather dropped down next to him, patting his knee sympathetically. He couldn't even look at her.

"How much time do you think we have?"

She shrugged. "Now that the Shadow knows that you have your powers back, I imagine he'll be working full force to get to you guys before you take 100% control of your powers."

Billy nodded absently. "What about Kim?" He glanced at Tommy. "We can't do this without her."

Tommy nodded. "I agree with Jason. I think…"

A blood curdling scream cut him off. Billy and Heather jumped to their feet, but Jason and Tommy were already moving down the hall. Billy and Heather followed them with Adam a few steps behind. Tommy followed the scream into the guest bathroom.

"Kim!" He tried the door knob. It didn't budge. "Kim, answer me!"

Jason beat on the door with his fist. "KIM!"

From inside, they could hear splashing water amidst Kim's garbled screams.

"Get back." Tommy said. Jason nodded and moved out of the way as Tommy took a step back and with a solid blow splintered the door with one swift kick. Kim was in the tub flaying her arms, sending water in every direction. Suddenly, she was pulled under the water, still kicking.

"Kim!" Tommy made it to the tub first. He reached in the hot water and grabbing Kim's wrists jerked her upward. Her eyes were closed but she continued to kick and scream, coughing up water simultaneously. "Jason, help me!" He screamed.

Jason bent down to help when Kim suddenly convulsed again kicking him hard in the nose. He jumped back quickly, holding his hands to his face. Blood began streaming down his water soaked face. "Shit!" he mumbled staggering backwards.

Adam immediately stepped in where Jason had been by the tub, while Heather took hold of Jason, trying to stop the bleeding.

"Grab her ankles!" Tommy ordered, desperately trying to the keep a grip on Kim while shaking water out of his face.

Adam ignored the near scalding water as it splashed his face. He reached in barely avoiding another wild kick from Kim. He seized her ankles and struggled to hold them still. It was all Tommy needed. Wrapping one arm around her back and the other under her knees, he scooped her naked body out of the tub. He stood and turned to the others.

"Towels!" He yelled as he nearly trampled them getting Kim out of the bathroom. He dropped her convulsing body on the bed, regaining his hold on her wrists.

"She's dreaming!" Adam said as he brought Tommy clean towels.

Tommy began to shake Kim's arms roughly. "Kim, wake up." He shook her again. "Wake up, god damn it!!" He screamed at the top of his lungs.

Jason was now beside him, trying to wrap dry towels around Kim. "She's still fighting. We've got to go in after her. Heather…" He turned to where Billy and Adam stood waiting for instruction. Heather was gone. "Where's Heather?" Billy and Adam looked around and then at each other.

"She was just here." Adam said.

"Oh, no." Jason jumped up and sprinted down the hallway to the living room. When he got there he realized that he was too late. Heather lay perfectly still, her eyes closed, on the couch.

"Jason!" He heard Tommy calling him from the bedroom. "What's happening?"

He shook his head. "She's gone after Kim… alone."

Kim screamed as the shadow rushed at her. Throwing her arms up instinctively, she braced herself for the impending impact. It never came.

"Stop!" A new voice called.

The shadow stopped, suddenly distracted, giving Kim just enough time to duck out of his path. The shadow focused its attention on the intruder. "You!" He turned to move toward her. "You are the dream walker that's been standing between me and victory."

Heather released a slow breath in an attempt to slow her heart hammering in her chest. She managed a small unconvincing laugh. "If you want to give me that much credit, that's fine by me." She glanced past him and locked her gaze on Kim. "Get out of here, Kim!"

The Pink Ranger stood still, not yet ready to abandon the woman who had just saved her life. "Not without you!" she called.

Looking back at the shadow, Heather smiled. "You've just lost your prey again, asshole." With a simple hand gesture, Heather motioned to Kim.

Kim began to feel lightheaded as she began crossing back into consciousness. "No, wait." She reached out a hand, even as her vision got fuzzy. She heard the shadow screech loudly and launch itself at Heather. One of the last things that Kim saw was a bright pink light that appeared in front of Heather just as the shadow reached her.

Kim's body suddenly went limp on the bed. Tommy felt panic rise in his chest as he feared the worse. He opened his mouth to call to her again, but he seemed to have lost his voice. He looked helplessly at Billy still standing in the doorway. He too felt the heaviness that Tommy did. The common fear that they were unable to help their friend was almost overwhelming.

"Tommy?" The small voice was barely audible.

His head whipped back around to his friend still lying perfectly still on the bed. She was now looking up at him, her hazel eyes still glassy from sleep. Without thinking, he gathered her in his arms in a fierce hug. "Omigod, Kim!" He breathed into her hair.

Kim allowed herself to simply be held by him in the protective embrace, grateful for something familiar. She felt his strong muscles against her cheek and was suddenly transported back to high school when it was all too common for her to rest her head on that chest. She stiffened unconsciously, and her eyes flew open as she felt his hand lightly caressing her bare back and was hit with the notion that she was practically naked wrapped up in her ex boyfriend's arms. Tommy sensed her change in demeanor and was now acutely aware that she was very exposed as she lay in his arms.

Almost simultaneously they each jumped back; Kim reached down and grabbed the blankets at her feet. Tommy blushed furiously as he quickly looked away, "Sorry." He mumbled, spying Billy still in the doorway trying not to laugh at the irony of the situation.

She sat up straight quickly pulling the blanket around her. "Heather, where's Heather."

"She's in the living room with Jason and Adam." Billy offered.

Kim jumped out the bed, a rustle of blanket trailing her. "We have to help her, Tommy. She's still in there with the Shadow." She grabbed her head as she began to sway violently. Tommy reached out grabbing both arms to steady her.

"Take it easy, Kim."

"But she's…"

"Why don't you get dressed, and Billy and I will go check on her, okay."

Realizing how ridiculous she must look standing there dripping wet in nothing but a blanket, she conceded defeat.

Tommy and Billy quickly left, closing the door behind them. When they got to the living room, they found Adam and Jason sitting on either end of the couch, holding a vigil over Heather's still form. Billy kneeled down close to his friend. He brushed a piece of hair out of her face. "Any change?"

Adam shook his head. "Nothing. In fact, she hasn't moved since Jason found her. What about Kim?"

"Kim's awake." Tommy told him. "She said that Heather was with the shadow. God knows what's happening now."

The men turned as Kim hurried into the room, pulling her robe tightly around her. Despite her recent ordeal and almost drowning in the bathtub, she moved with a new determination that her long time friends recognized. Jason quickly moved to stopped her before she reached Heather.

"Kim, wait."

"No, Jason, she saved my life. We have to help her."

Billy joined Jason in an attempt to calm her. "There's nothing we can do, Kim. Even if we could all join together in the dream realm, there's no guarantee that we could find her."

Kim sat in the arm chair dejected. "What are we supposed to do now?"

Before anyone could speak, the answer presented itself. Without warning, Heather sat straight up on the couch, her eyes wide. Her face was pasty white as she stared at each of the Power Rangers, gulping for breath.

"Take it easy." Adam was still sitting next to her, his hands on her shoulders.

Kim vaulted out of the chair to kneel down next to her. "Omigod, Heather! What happened? I wanted to stay and help you, but…"

Heather waved her off. "Its okay, Kim. I purposefully sent you back."

"But how did you escape?"

Heather blinked several times, searching for an answer to her question. "I'm…not really sure, to be honest. One minute I was face to face with that black monster, and then there was this light."

"I saw it just before I left." Kim nodded. "It was pink light, just between you and the shadow."

"Yes," Heather's eyes reflected the memory. "It was like it attacked the shadow directly, giving me enough time to get away. But where did it come from?"

Billy rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Well, Kim was present. And she was…is the Pink Ranger. Is it possible that she released some kind of kinetic energy just before she returned?"

Kim was thoughtful for a moment. "I suppose. I mean, when I was first attacked, I wasn't sure that I would even know how to defend myself, and then suddenly, I was fighting without thinking. Like my Ranger instincts took over or something. But I've never done anything like what you're describing."

Now Tommy stepped into the conversation. "Yeah, but, you were in the Dream Realm, is there a chance that maybe we have different powers in our dreams that we might not know about?"

"Most people do." Heather answered.

Kim looked in wonderment at her hands, studying them for any sign of kinetic energy. After a moment, she crossed her arms firmly across her chest. "Okay. So, what's our next move?"

Her answer was a sea of curious expressions. Jason lifted a playful eyebrow at her. "What are you saying, Kim?"

"I'm saying that this creep needs a swift ass-kicking, and I think the Power Rangers are the only ones who can do it."

"Hell yeah!" Jason jumped off the couch and threw an arm around her. "That's Kimberly Hart, Pink Ranger, that we know and love. Now let's go kick this bastard's ass all over dreamland."

Ten minutes later, the group was one again gathered in the living room, having changed into dry clothes; the mood was somber as they began to mentally prepare themselves for what was to come. Heather emerged from the bathroom, tying her auburn hair into a long braid and tossing it down her back. As she entered the living room she was taken aback at the sight before her. Giving a wan smile, she made an observation.

"Did you guys plan this?" She was met with blank faces. "Your chosen attire?"

Billy was the first to catch on and let out a loud laugh. Each of them had unwittingly donned their own Power Ranger color. "We're wearing our Ranger colors." He indicated his own blue polo shirt. As the others realized what had happened, a ripple of nervous giggles moved through them.

As the laughter faded, Tommy cleared his throat loudly. "Are we ready to do this?"

Heather nodded and took her place in the arm chair. While Kim settled herself down on the couch between Tommy and Jason, Billy and Adam sat on the love seat. "Alright. Before we begin, there are a few things that you need to know." Heather's tone was serious. "Once we cross over into the Dark Realm, the Shadow will most likely feel our presence almost immediately. He will send his demons after us."

Jason chuckled. "No sweat." His smile faded when Kim elbowed him severely in the ribs. "Sorry."

Clearing her throat, Heather continued. "The further we travel into the Dark Realm, the more dangerous it will get. As we go, we will be moving away from our consciousness and our physical selves so our dreams get a lot more real."

"What does that mean?" Billy asked.

She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "It means that when we reach the Dark Tower, what happens in our dreams happens to our physical bodies. This is because our brains will begin to believe what our mind sees and will manifest itself in a physical form."

"And we could die." Adam's voice was almost inaudible but the weight of his words was not lost on any of those present.

"Yes." Heather realized that more than anyone in the room, Adam was aware of the true dangers involved.

"Wait." Kim quickly said, jumping up. She hurried to where her purse rested on the dining table. Digging through it, she produced her cell phone. "I'm sorry, guys, give me just a second." She walked out to the back porch, closing the door behind her, and dialed a number. After several rings, a familiar voice came over the line. "_This is Sean. Sorry I missed your call. Leave your name, number, and a message, and I'll get back to you soon. Thanks."_

Kim closed her eyes at the sound of her fiancé's thick Irish accent. "Hey, it's me. Um, something has come up, and I'm going to have to take a later flight home. I'll call you back when I know when I'll be in." She paused, holding back the tears that threatened to fall. "I love you so much, Sean. I'll talk to you later." Letting out a deep breath, she closed her phone and walked slowly back inside to sit back down on the couch.

"Everything alright?" Tommy's concern touched Kim.

"Yeah, I just had to call Sean and tell him…" She hesitated. "That I would be taking a later flight…so he wouldn't worry."

He gave her an empathic smile. "He'll get his Kim back, I promise."

Tommy's uncanny ability to seemingly read her thoughts never ceased to amaze Kim. With everything she had put him through; he was still able to be her rock. She nodded and granted him with a grateful smile. "Thanks."

"Okay everybody." Jason interrupted. "Let's get this show on the road."

Heather wound the metronome and set it into motion. "Right. Everyone clear your minds…"

"By the way, Jason," Kim whispered, leaning near his ear. "Sorry about the nose."

He snickered. "I always knew you had a helluva kick. Now put it to some good use and kick a little butt."

She smiled. "You got it."


	9. Exorcising Demons

**Thanks to everyone for the encouragement. Things are about to heat up for our heroes, but fear not, they're going to have a little help along the way. I know that the Zuelle/Zordon character is kinda strange but I just wanted to try something new :) Anyway, onto Dreamland to kick a little butt. Enjoy. Please R&R.**

Chapter 9 Exorcising Demons

Heather felt the all too familiar sensation of leaving her physical body and turning her mind inward allowing her to travel at-will into the Dream Realm. The feeling of weightlessness always made her feel free. Free of the heaviness that people in general carry around with in physical world. She felt exhilarated as she focused her mind on taking herself and the Power Rangers to a safe place where they could readjust to the dream world and mentally prepare for the task at hand. Her brows furrowed as a new feeling began to creep up on her; an unfamiliar feeling. Without warning, time seemed to stop.

She opened her eyes and fought the panic that was rising in her throat. She found herself floating in a sea of dense fog. "Hello." She called out, trying to keep her voice from shaking. "Is anyone there?"

"Heather?" Kim's voice barely cut through the mist. "Tommy?"

"Kim!" Tommy's answer came.

"Tommy, I can't see anything."

"Hang on, Kim. I'm going to try to find you. Billy, you still with us, bro?"

"I'm here." Billy said. "Jason?"

Heather's breath caught in her throat when Jason didn't answer. "Jason!" She tried to turn around but realized that she had no sense of direction.

"Heather, what the hell is going on?" Adam's voice carried through the haze.

"I don't know. But we need to try to stay together."

"How are we supposed to do that when we can't even see each other?" Billy's tone was tense.

"Kim." Tommy said. "Talk to me, I'll follow your voice."

Heather closed her eyes and tried to focus on the individual voices. "It's got to be the Shadow. He's trying to separate us. It will make it easier to manipulate…"

"AAHHHH!" Kim's scream cut her off then there was silence.

"Kim!" It was Tommy. No answer.

"Kimberly!" Billy yelled.

A strong wind began to swirl around them, howling loudly. Heather struggled now to hold her focus. "Tommy! Billy!" She screamed into the wind. Neither Tommy nor Billy offered any answer. Her head began to swim as she felt an invisible force begin to pull at her. Suddenly she was jerked back when a strong hand closed around hers, pulling her forward. Her eyes flew open. "Adam." She breathed.

Adam pulled her to him so they were face to face only inches separating their noses. His dark gaze penetrated her fear as he held her upper arms in an iron grip. "Heather," he had to yell over the wind thundering in his ears. "You have to get us out of here."

She shook her head wildly. "I don't know if I can."

"Yes, you can!" He narrowed his eyes at her. "Focus, Heather. Focus on a destination and get us the hell out of here."

She finally nodded and closed her eyes. With Adam holding on to her, she felt a renewed sense of confidence. She turned her mind inward and an image began to form in her mind. As she concentrated on the image, she felt the wind dying down and began to feel solid support beneath her feet.

When the wind finally subsided, she slowly opened her eyes to find herself still standing nose to nose with Adam. The intensity that had been in his expression previously had faded into a relieved smile. "Nice job." He said.

Where she had felt safe in his arms earlier, she now felt somewhat vulnerable staring at his handsome features. She disengaged herself, hoping that he didn't notice her cheeks slowly turning pink. He gave no indication that anything was amiss. When she finally got a good look at her surroundings, she realized that they were standing back in the cave where the Power Rangers had reconnected with their powers.

"What happened?" Adam walked around the stone pillars where the Power Spheres once rested. The granite boxes now lay empty.

"I have no idea."

"Perhaps I can answer that." From the shadows of the room a figure emerged. She was tall with porcelain skin, her snow white hair fell almost to her knees, mingling with her white robes.

Neither Adam nor Heather needed an introduction. "Zuelle." They said in unison.

"The Dark Lord used his power to intercept your group, in an attempt to separate you. It will make it easier for him to take you each one by one."

"What has he done with them?" Adam instinctively balled his fists up.

Zuelle approached the pair, her demeanor calm. "I am unable to sense the Red and Pink Rangers. I would assume that the Shadow has already taken them to his tower."

"And Billy and Tommy? What about them?" He was beginning to feel sick to his stomach.

"I can still feel their presence, but they are in great danger. The Dark Lord will be anxious to find them. When he has them all, he will take their powers and use them to take over the rest of the Dream Realm."

"But he can't do it without Adam, right?" Heather thought out loud.

Adam nodded. "He's got Zack. Zack was the original Black Ranger. He won't need my powers once he has the others." He turned back to Zuelle. "How can we help Tommy and Billy?"

"He will look deep into their subconscious to find a weakness in their psyche."

Heather noticed his expression. "He will try to find something that they are afraid of. It will weaken their defenses when confronted with something or someone they fear."

"You must find them quickly." Zuelle continued.

"There's not enough time." Heather said. "It will take too long for me to track them down."

Zuelle was unaffected by the urgency in Heather's voice. "I can help you find them. You must get to them and go to the Dark Tower. You will need these…"

At Adam's feet a brown messenger's bag manifested out of thin air. He bent down to peer inside then he looked up at Zuelle. "The Power Spheres. They're all here."

"Their powers combined will destroy the Sphere of Asterove, the source of the Dark Lord's power."

Adam picked up the bag and placed it over his shoulder allowing it to fall across his chest.

"Now," Zuelle raised her arms. A white circle of light appeared in the center of the stone pillars. It slowly began to spin in the air. "Step inside the circle, and you will be taken to where each Ranger is."

Adam and Heather did as instructed, placing themselves in the center of the circle. Heather tried to control the quick beating of her heart. She had spent many years moving about in the Dream Realm, but this was a whole new experience. Reflexively, she reached out and grabbed Adam's hand. He squeezed it reassuringly.

"I have sensed the White Ranger's presence and can send you to him." Zuelle spoke. "Dream walker, focus on his essence. Allow yourself to sense him."

Heather nodded, closing her eyes. She focused on Tommy, willing her mind to take her to him."

Zuelle raised her hands in the air. "To the White Ranger."

With one swift stroke of her hands, Heather and Adam were gone.

There was nothing. No sound; no light. He thought for a moment that he might be dead. _No_, he remembered, _I'm dreaming. This is a dream_. Tommy closed his eyes and centered himself. If he couldn't see with his eyes, he would rely on his other senses. He would not allow himself to be caught off guard. His feet felt heavy underneath him as he moved slowly in a sideways direction moving one foot across the other. Then, out of the darkness, he heard a voice.

"Tommy." The female voice was vaguely familiar, but Tommy couldn't place it off-hand. "Tommy." He concentrated on the voice; racking his brain to remember.

He stopped moving. A feathery soft hand caressed his cheek. He opened his eyes and found that he could see. His eyes widened in fear as he recognized the source of the voice. Losing his focus, he staggered backwards. "Ma…Mattie?"

The tall, athletic blond smiled at him. "Tommy." She moved toward him.

He moved quickly away from her, shaking his head furiously. "No…you're dead. I watched…" His mouth suddenly went dry. "I watched you die." All of the sudden the memory of that night flooded his mind like it was yesterday.

He had been a senior in college when he met her as a freshman. He had tutored her in freshman Algebra and Chemistry. They had spent a lot of time together and she had begun to see their relationship as much more than it was. When he had tried to explain to her that he didn't feel that way about her, she went over the edge. Then, at the spring dance, only three months before he was to graduate, she had thrown herself at him, claiming her undying love for him. All he could do was let her down as easy as he knew how. She had run out of the dance in a rage. Not an hour later, the news spread throughout the student body, bringing the dance to a halt. Mattie had climbed to the top of the clock tower and jumped.

Tommy remembered kneeling in the grass, holding her head, tears spilling unchecked down his cheeks. He had screamed, he had cried, he had whispered that he was sorry. None of it exorcised the overwhelming feeling of guilt. After the incident, he had been unable to cope. His grades fell, and he eventually dropped out all together. Eventually he was able to bury the guilt down. But it had constantly affected his life ever since.

Now, he faced the one thing that scared him the most.

"Mattie…"

"Tommy, I know that you feel guilty about what happened to me."

"Mattie, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…"

"Its okay, Tommy. I forgive you. You see, when you love someone with all your heart, you can forgive them." She slowly advanced on him.

As he listened to her words, her voice began to affect him. He felt his will begin to give into to what she was saying.

"Yes," he found himself saying, as she moved into his space only inches from his face.

"And I know that you have come here to be with me." She stood on her tiptoes, planting a soft kiss on his lips. "You are going to stay here with me, right?"

"Tommy! No!"

In his daze, Tommy heard another familiar voice. _Adam?_ He shook his head, confusion filling his mind. Even as he tried to turn his head, Mattie reached for his face, turning his chin back to her.

"Tommy, you belong here with me."

"Tommy!"

He jerked his head around to see Adam and Heather standing nearby. "Adam?"

Adam walked up to the pair. "Tommy, don't listen to her. She's lying to you. She's not Mattie."

Tommy looked back at the woman in front of him, searching for some truth in Adam's words. She simply smiled at him. "Tommy, I died for you."

"Listen to me!"

She laid her head on his shoulder. "They're trying to take you away from me." Tears welled up in her eyes. "Don't let them take you away again."

Without explanation, her words moved him. He stroked her hair back gently. "Its okay, Mattie. I won't let them hurt you anymore."

Adam looked at Heather helplessly. He shrugged. "You're the psychologist. You talk to him."

"Tommy," Heather approached cautiously. He narrowed his eyes at her while still holding on to Mattie. Heather took a deep breath. She was well aware to whom she was speaking. Tommy Oliver, the Green and White Power Ranger, could be a deadly force if provoked. "Tommy, I want you to think about what you are doing right now. Does this feel right to you, really?"

His jaw ticked ever so slightly, unconsciously showing Heather that he was listening. "Mattie's death was not your fault. You have got to let it go." She saw his grip on Mattie loosen. "You have been living with the guilt for too long. Think of all the things it's ruined in your life. School…jobs…relationships…"

She reached out and took his hand gently in hers. "Her death, tragic as it was, was not your fault, and I think that deep down you know that. You just have to let the rest of you believe it too."

Tommy shook his head as if walking out of a fog. He glanced at Adam, who nodded. Disengaging himself from Mattie, he moved to leave with Adam and Heather.

"No!" Mattie screamed in a foreign voice. Not the sweet, sugary voice that had taken Tommy in, but a screeching so loud that the retreating trio had to cover their ears. "You are mine, White Ranger!"

The image of the girl that Tommy and Adam had known in college faded and was replaced by an ugly, gnarled goblin. Heather recognized him instantly. It was the same goblin that attacked Kimberly. She reached out to her companions. "We have to go." As she turned to leave, she found herself face to face with a half dozen more ugly goblins.

Suddenly, she was moved backwards as Adam and Tommy stepped in front of her, each lowered into his own fighting stance. Watching the trained fighters as they launched into swift series of punches and kicked left Heather in awe.

Tommy moved with deliberate grace as his foot shot out in one direction, then the other, with a quickness paralleled only by his strength. It had been a while since he had been in battle, but the fighting instincts came back to him quickly. He felt exhilarated as his muscles carried him from one difficult move the next. He had never stopped his diligent practice of martial arts, but somewhere along the way it had become less focused and more mechanical. Now, with a renewed sense of purpose, he found his energy flowing through him like a river, allowing him to quickly subdue his enemies.

Unlike Tommy however, Adam's intentions and focus came from the guilt and anger that he felt rising from his very core. His kicks were fast and his punches were strong, but in the end, he lacked the centered attention that made him a great fighter.

Madeove shrank back as the Power Rangers quickly pummeled his henchmen. When Tommy and Adam turned to him, he shrieked loudly, and moving his arms in wild circles, he disappeared leaving behind only a dark puff of smoke.

"Man," Tommy grinned at his friend. "That felt good. It's been a long time since we got to do any real ass kicking."

Adam nodded his agreement then turned serious. "You okay?"

Tommy was thoughtful for a minute. "Yeah, you know what? I think I am." He realized how true his words were. Carrying around the guilt of Mattie's death had turned him into a shell of the person he once was. Now, that he had faced the irrational shame that had plagued him for so long, he felt like a new person. He felt at peace.

Tommy and Adam turned to find Heather still standing unmoving staring at them like they had turned blue and grown another head.

"Wow," she breathed. "That was incredible. I mean, I've seen like every action movie ever made, but seeing it in real life. You guys are amazing."

The two men unwittingly looked at their feet as they blushed deeply at her praise.

"Thanks." Said Tommy quietly.

"It was nothing." Adam muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.

Heather clearly saw that she made them uncomfortable and turned the conversation to the matter at hand. "Right. We need to find the others. Zuelle." She called out, seemingly talking to thin air. "Zuelle, we need your help." Then to Adam and Billy. "We have find Billy."


End file.
